Spark
by Dancing Peony
Summary: "Anyone who thinks that winning is everything in basketball is an idiot—but don't worry, I promised Kuroko-kun that I will de-idiotfy you all!" The Generation of Miracles never saw her coming... But, they didn't seem to mind either. "Heh, go on a date with me and I'll show you just how much passion I have." "Unhand her or I'll kill you." All's fair in love and war. OC/GOM.
1. When the Stars Collide

Went on a KnB binge and this is what happened. If I ever happen to mess up on anything, please feel free to tell me! I'm still new to this fandom, heh heh. Final pairing is a mystery, so you'll just have to wait and see. (;

Also, I posted this on wattpad under the username _Nightblooming._

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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Seirin was a lot bigger than she thought.

The new school towered over her smaller figure in an attempt to subdue the incoming students, but one could feel the air of warmth coming from within. The girl, Okuma Tomoko, breathed in a big gulp of fresh air before stepping into the open gates of Seirin High, her caramel colored hair flowing behind in rhythm of the breeze.

"Dance club! Come join the dance club!"

"You have to join our tennis team!"

"Over here! This club!"

There were so many upperclassmen shoving flyers and sign-up sheets in the girl's face, she could barely see what was in front of her. She laughed; already, she could tell that Seirin was going to be an interesting school.

Tomoko's family had just moved to Tokyo when her dad got a promotion at his company and was required to move and manage a bigger district. Interestingly enough, Seirin High was one of her choice schools to attend despite being so new.

"Basketball! Basketball! Will you like to join the basketball team?" She heard a second year shout, and she turned her head to see him waving around a flyer. Suddenly, an even taller male came into her line of vision, instantly blocking her view.

He had a head of fiery red hair that gradually faded into pitch black and two very toned arms that was holding up what looked like a filled out sign-up sheet.

_A basketball player, huh? Explains why he looks so athletic and tall, _Tomoko thought. When he turned around, she caught a glimpse of what he looked like—a bit scary-looking if you asked her. Even the two upperclassmen watching the stand looked somewhat intimidated by the redhead's presence.

_He reminds me of a tiger..._

After the tall guy walked out of sight, Tomoko continued to venture around the school and its many clubs and activities. It was a requirement for all students to participate in some kind of after-school club, so she needed to find one quickly before the interesting ones were filled up.

_I wonder if they have a cooking club... No, I already signed up for their home economics class..._ With the split second of inattention, she bumped into someone's back. "Ow!" Tomoko's forehead collided with the backside of a hard head.

"Are you okay?"

Salmon eyes met brilliant blue. Tomoko blinked a few times at the blue haired boy of about equal height; she didn't remember seeing him anywhere in front of her despite not paying attention for a calculated second. Unless he could appear and disappear suddenly...

"Are you okay?" he asked again. Tomoko rubbed her head sheepishly and nodded, apologizing for her mistake. "That's good."

There was something in his eyes—she couldn't quite place it, but it seemed a bit sullen despite his small smile. There was also a paper in his hands and she saw that it was for the basketball team. Trying to lighten up the mood, she asked about it.

"I'm Okuma Tomoko, first-year student at Seirin! You're a first-year too, right? I see you like basketball."

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, nice to meet you," the blue haired boy nodded. "I love playing basketball."

"Basketball is a fun sport," Tomoko agreed, clasping her hands behind her back as she walked into step alongside Kuroko. She could see the spark of passion in his eyes when he talked about what he enjoyed, and she was happy. "All the teamwork, hardships, and spirit people put into it always lit a fire within me. Watching them play with all of their heart makes the game worth so much more, even if I'm not very good at interpreting it," she laughed. "There are natural prodigies, but there are also hard-working people who just simply love the game."

Her companion suddenly stopped walking, making her halt her steps as well. "Kuroko-kun?"

"Okuma-san, I'm glad you think that way," Kuroko said, his blue eyes bore into her salmon ones with unspoken admiration. "My old teammates... they don't think they same way as you anymore. Winning became everything, and I grew tired of it."

_He looks so sad... But somehow it makes him look like a puppy, hah._

"Who were they?" she asked slowly.

"My team back in Teiko... the Generation of Miracles."

_No way... He is one of the prodigies? _She couldn't really remember the exact faces or names of the players in Teiko, but blue haired boy was completely out of her knowledge. She wondered if he was the rumored phantom sixth man... It wasn't like she paid special attention to the best teams of Japan when she was in junior high, but the Generation of Miracles was part of literally everyone's gossip topic. For Tomoko, her brother played basketball in high school so she just liked watching it.

"Are you surprised, Okuma-san?" he faced her, the same sullen look in his expression.

_That puppy dog look..._

"Hmmm. From what I heard from friends talking about Teiko's games at the end, it had no soul in it... so I understand what you're saying, Kuroko-kun, and I agree with you," Tomoko finally told him. His cute face kept on switching from boy to puppy in her mind and she had to resist the urge to pinch his cheeks. "I also heard rumors that the 'phantom sixth man' left in the middle of the final championship. Now I know... That was why you left, huh?"

"Yes. No team was confident enough to beat Teiko, and soon people started to fear and loathe basketball... Even a very close friend of mine, he..." Kuroko paused, not sure what to say. "When you come to hate something you liked, it is incredibly painful."

_Somehow..._

_I want to help him._

"Kuroko-kun..." Tomoko started, a determined fire starting within her eyes and coursed throughout her body. "You said your ex-teammates are only playing basketball for the sake of winning... Do you wish to change that?"

The boy nodded.

"Alright then," she said suddenly, taking Kuroko's hand into her own. "For you, me, and every true basketball lover out there, I will do my best!"

_A happy puppy will look cuter... Maybe I can make him happy again!_

"...Huh?" Kuroko blinked.

A lopsided grin appeared on Tomoko's face, and one could practically see the mind engines turning within her head. "What I'm saying, Kuroko-kun, is that I will help you pummel the passion back into the members of the Generation of Miracle's arrogant little brains!"

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_one_

**when the stars collide**

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"You say you want to be our manager...?" Riko questioned, eyeing the caramel haired girl with slight suspicion. There was sure a lot of interesting people wanting to join their basketball team this year.

First the team was already blown away with the beast from America, Kagami Taiga. Then, the seemingly invisible boy with_ no presence _had nearly scared the skin off her bones, not to mention a real jaw-dropper when he revealed himself as one of the players from Teiko—the esteemed middle school had quite a reputation around Japan and all its prospective middle and high schools.

Now she was staring at the perky first-year in front of her, wondering why she'd choose to be a manager for Seirin's basketball team. There wouldn't really be anything for the girl to do—Riko already takes care of everything.

"I might not be too much help on the court, but I can be a really good...uh, towel girl?" Tomoko was hopeful, her body inching closer to the basketball coach with pleading eyes. She had made her decision to stand by her new friend, Kuroko Tetsuya, and she was determined to fulfill her self-proclaimed mission to make the blue haired boy happy.

"A towel girl..." Riko echoed, not believing what she was hearing.

"Towel girl," Izuki jotted something down on his ever awaiting notepad, "to absorb our games...?"

Everyone's heads, saved for Kuroko and Tomoko's, turned almost mechanically towards the point guard's pun in exasperation. Tomoko was the only one who who seemed to have a positive reaction, however, as her mouth stretched into her lopsided grin again.

"That was really good, senpai!" she said, before turning back to Riko. "Please... Can I?"

"Well..."

"It would be nice to have someone taking off some burdens from you, Riko," the basketball captain's glasses glinted from under the light. Though a considerate remark, it could also be taken as a ploy to get a slightly more _girly _girl on the team. Nice sized boobs, and a cheerful face that looked to be genuine and not as if plotting something evil.

Of course, his intentions were pure! At least he hopes the punishment-prone coach wouldn't see through it...

"Go run thirty laps around the gym, Hyuuga! And you three first-years too," Riko pointed to Fukuda, Furihata, and Kawahara, who were making goggle-y eyes at the cute girl, all the while trying to contain her the tick in her eye. She saw right through them. _Unbelievable!_

"What do you guys think?" Riko asked the rest of her team, her more _reliable_ ones. Mitobe made some hand signals and a nod, to which Koganei perked up to.

"He said we totally should!"

"I think it would be nice to have Okuma-san on the team," Kuroko added his two cents.

After taking a moment to think, the Seirin coach exhaled and turned to Tomoko. "I guess my decision is..."

Tomoko, along with the rest of the team (saved for Kagami), waited with anticipation.

"Welcome to the team, Okuma Tomoko!"

* * *

"Here is your order. Enjoy!"

"Thank you."

"Don't you think the Seirin basketball team is lively? I have a feeling that they will go far," Tomoko told Kuroko as they walked over to an empty seat in the popular burger joint, Maji Burgers, that the blue haired boy introduced her.

Kuroko sipped his vanilla milkshake with a content look on his face. "I think so too."

_It suits him. _Tomoko munched on her burger and gulping down some sweet iced tea. Being the manager was mostly busy work like bringing water and towels for the players, but she didn't mind at all, and for the first few days of high school experience, she pulled through with relative ease. Plus, she liked to think that Kuroko has become her first friend at Seirin, and hoped that soon, she will be able to worm into the rest of the team's heart.

"Worm into their...warm hearts...!" she mumbled to mostly herself. It was kind of funny, actually, that she had Izuki's sense of humor (she has always possessed a funny bone, or so she thinks), and much like the pun master, she was positively amused with her own bad puns.

"Ugh, another Izuki on the team."

Tomoko blinked up at the grumbling intruder and found Kagami towering before her with a small scowl. She smiled up at him. "Ka-kun!" she called him with a less intimating nickname to balance out his scary aura—it worked, somewhat. Salmon eyes then widened a fraction at the sight of the tall male's enormous mountain of burgers, "Woah, that's a lot of proteins."

The scowl didn't disappear from the redhead's face.

"Hey, don't just stand there, come sit with us!" Tomoko grinned.

"...Us?" Kagami glanced down at the perky girl and then his eyes traveled to what he originally thought was an empty seat. Kuroko Tetsuya started back at him, the straw of the vanilla drink between his lips. "W-What the—when did _you_ get there?!"

"I've been here the whole time, Kagami-kun," Kuroko simply replied.

"Hmph." The tall basketball player plopped himself down at the seat across from Kuroko and started to dig into his pile of burgers. His two audiences stared dumbstruck by his giant appetite, but he did not care.

"Ne Ka-kun, what do you think about the Generation of Miracles?" Tomoko asked suddenly.

"Isn't invisible boy one of them? He can't even shoot properly, but his passes are okay," he said in between bites. It was more than 'okay,' Kuroko's passes were like _magic_. His hand reached over to his soda to swallow it all down, but he accidentally took Tomoko's instead and realized it too late as the too-sweet liquid ran down his throat. "The hell!"

"You took my drink!" the caramel haired girl pouted as fake tears emerged around her tear ducts. The drink-snatcher made a disgusted face back at her. "Cruel..."

Kagami had to wash the horrible drink down with his own soda, his face dusted light pink upon registering the fact that he _shared _drinks with the girl. Gulping the embarrassment down, he tried to make his expression turn serious. "I heard crazy things about that Teiko team, but that's not gonna stop me from beatin' a challenge."

"Ohhh, that's the spirit, Ka-kun!" Tomoko gushed. "Together, we shall be the best in the nation and show those prodigies of true commitment and inextinguishable passion!"

"Whadda ya mean_ 'we?'_ And stop calling me 'Ka-kun!' I ain't your fluffy friend or anything!"

"I mean that you and Kuroko-kun will slay the courts while my amazing inspirational speeches will bring the Generation of Miracles to their knees! Kuroko-kun and I want to bring the joy of basketball back in them. Oh, and I think that nickname is endearing~"

"...You're weird, Okuma." A thoughtful pause came as a certain, short haired basketball coach came to mind. "No, all you females are crazy."

"But you truly love basketball, don't you? You and Kuroko-kun will make a super strong team!"

Kuroko set down his shake. "The Generation of Miracles is strong. If Kagami-kun were to go against them right now, he will lose instantly."

"Oi..." Kagami called in defence, "do you have to put it like that?"

"Nothing's impossible! With much training and hard work, I believe that Seirin will come out on top. I even overheard Riko-san say that Ka-kun has some amazing raw potential," Tomoko smiled. _And Kagami will bring out Kuroko-kun's potential, I know it._

"Were you eavesdropping on our coach?!"

"No~"

Kagami sighed. Why was he always stuck with weird people? "Anyway, I _will_ beat them."

"You wouldn't even reach their feet right now, Kagami-kun. But I guess it's not entirely impossible to beat them. You will have to work really hard," Kuroko commented. He finished the last of his vanilla shake and offered the giant redhead a small smile. "I've decided that I'll help you."

"Ha? What can you do?" Kagami was skeptical.

"I'm a supporting actor, a shadow," Kuroko explained, the way he said it made the two unanimously agree. Kuroko _is_ undeniably a shadow. "But the stronger the light, the darker the shadow will become and it will make the white of the light stand out. I want to make you, the light, number one in Japan."

Kagami blinked. "That sounds so damn corny... But do whatever you want, I guess."

The blue haired phantom beamed because he knew Kagami listened to every word he said with acknowledgement. Tomoko glanced between the two basketball players with her lopsided grin. She was happy with the outcome, and even happier to see that Kuroko was smiling more.

_They will become great partners._

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_With each other's support, __the three stars will shine through brightly in the night sky._

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**Review?**


	2. First Impressions are Always Important

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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Tomoko was humming a small tune as she gathered the freshly baked brownies that she just made into a plastic container. During the week, the class instructor had droned on about all of the safety precautions and methods of cooking, and today they were finally able to make something.

The sweets would have finished earlier if she didn't accidentally put in salt instead of sugar, however, so starting over with a new batter took away some time.

"Okuma-san, you haven't left yet? The bell rang already," the foods instructor called from behind her desk.

"I'm almost done, Hanase-sensei! I just need to put these pans away," Tomoko replied, waving said metal pans in the air. One came down and clunked her on the head. "Ow..."

The teacher chuckled, "Alright. I just don't want you to be late for your other activities."

_That's right, I have basketball right after this! How can I forget about the time! _She quickly gathered everything up and made sure the oven and cooking equipment were properly closed and put away, then she saluted the teacher and sprinted out the door. _Riko-san is probably expecting me to be at practice already._

As she flew past the long corridors of the hall, she glanced out the many identical windows down at the courtyard and saw the sports teams already warming up for their prospective sports. An event from earlier this week surfaced in her mind and she couldn't help but let out a small giggle. The Seirin basketball coach had all of the players gathered on top of the roof in the morning to declare their goals for playing basketball, and if they fail, the consequence was dire.

They have to confess to the girl they like, naked.

Almost every player went, but the principal came and stopped Kuroko before he could say his. She already knew what his goal was, though, and despite not being able to verbalize it, he came up with a creative way to show their coach. The message was scrawled across the dirt courtyard.

_"We will be the best in Japan."_

Tomoko vowed to help out on that as well as the promise to bring Kuroko's teammates back. After all, basketball is only fun when you truly enjoy it.

_It shouldn't be too hard, right?_

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_two_

**first impressions are always important**

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Upon arriving to the gymnasium, Tomoko found the first-years and regulars practicing shooting hoops.

As usual, Kagami dunked each ball with insane force and energy.

"Hey Kodamei-kun!" Tomoko called as she walked up to the cat-like small forward of the team who was taking a short break, not realizing that she'd called him by the wrong name. "What's everyone up to?"

"Eh, Okuma-chan, my name is Koganei~" the male was hurt with tears streaming down his face.

"A-ah, I'm sorry," she apologized sheepishly. Having to remember all of the basketball player's name proved to be somewhat harder than she thought, especially since she didn't have any classes with the second-years. "Koga-kun then!"

But Koganei recovered quite quickly upon the cute caramel haired girl's apology. The cat-like expression was back on his face as he peered into the container Tomoko was holding in her hands. It gave off a heavenly scent of baked goods, and his mouth started to water. "What's in that container?!"

"Oh, this? It's the brownies I baked in foods class. I was going to share it with the basketball team."

"...Really?!"

"Yup!"

"Okuma-chan, you're the best!"

The rest of the team turned their heads at the second-year's loud exclaimation and widened their eyes as they witnessed the small forward throwing himself onto the smaller girl. It was a good thing Tomoko was fast to react and side-stepped just before the loud male could make contact.

Needless to say, he crashed painfully onto the ground.

Kuroko was immediately at her side. "Hello, Okuma-san."

"Woah Kuroko! Since when did you get here?!" the rest of the team was in shock to see the blue haired boy, as did Tomoko, but for the reason that he suddenly appeared next to her without warning. The rest all swore they've never seen the boy come in to practice with them.

"I've been here the entire time."

"No presence..." Izuki muttered, "...but he was present?"

"Amazing as always, Izuki-senpai!" Tomoko praised with stars in her eyes. She decided she needed to learn more from the master—was she gladder than ever that she came to Seirin. "Anyway, you guys are just shooting hoops today? Where's Riko-san?"

The team looked around for their (drill sergeant) coach, who was still nowhere to be seen in the gymnasium. Usually, she would be the first one here to slap her training plan in their faces... but the team wasn't complaining. Hyuuga propped his glasses higher up on his nose.

"I only know that she was looking for an opponent for our practice match earlier."

"Oh!" one of the first-years, Furihata, clamped a fist down on his open palm in realization. "I saw coach on the way here. She was skipping cheerfully."

"She was... Skipping?!" The basketball captain suddenly looked very nervous.

"Yeah, and she said to continue practice like usual. It looks like she found a team, huh? I wonder who it will be..." Kawahara said, his mind wandering off with excitement.

Tomoko glanced at Kagami. She could tell that he was excited too; he had been brooding all week about not being able to play any schools on top of Riko's vigorous training, and was itching for a match already. Being a practice match, the school couldn't be too far away, right? She was anticipating to watch the team play.

"You guys better watch out... If that girl is _skipping,_ then we're in big trouble. It means that our opponent will be really strong," Hyuuga warned his team. They seemed to cower slightly at his absolutely serious expression.

"Ha? That's perfect. I can't wait!" Kagami said, a fire lit within his eyes.

"I'm excited as well," Kuroko agreed next to him, though his expression was blank.

At that moment, Riko poked her head out from the doors of the gymnasium with a wide grin on her face. Even the first-years could tell that it was _not _a good sign.

"I'm back! What are you guys doing, just standing there?" she asked, giddily. The team scrabbled to grab a ball as she said that. "We have to practice hard, I got us a match with Kaijo High in Kanagawa next week~"

"Kaijo?" Kuroko asked, brows furrowing.

His sudden appearance nearly gave the giddy coach an acute heart attack, who, because of the boy's low presence, had failed to see that he was there. "Kuroko!" she sighed in relief, her expression then coming back to one of pure happiness. "But yes, Kaijo. I heard that they recruited one of the members from the Generation of Miracles this year."

"WHAT?!"

To say everyone was shocked was an understatement. The coach shrugged it off and skipped happily to the locker room, turning back only to remind the team that they better start training their ass off. Internally, Tomoko could not be more stoked to go to this game now; her mission was finally beginning. She looked at Kuroko, who had a determined look that also mirrored his new partner, Kagami's.

_Seirin is a talented team..._

"The Generation of Miracles!"

"Who was it again that went there?"

"Can we really beat them? Kaijo participates in Interhigh every year!"

Kagami snorted at his fellow teammate's chatter, "Oi, don't take us lightly. I'll beat whoever it is."

_So I believe in them._

"Ka-kun's right, we can win if we do our best!" Tomoko cheered, purposely ignoring the redhead's glare. She then remembered the forgotten baked goods and grinned. "So practice hard, guys! I'll reward you all with brownies after practice~"

* * *

In the next few days, the Seirin basketball team trained hard for the upcoming practice game. Tomoko was frequently going out to the store to buy all of the players their energy drinks.

That's what she was doing right now.

She stepped out of the store, taking a moment and counted the bottles inside the plastic bag to make sure that she got the right brands and number of drinks for everyone.

It was a good thing they weren't too picky about the beverage, but Kagami requested over three bottles for himself.

_That boy sure eat and drink like a monster, _she thought. Shrugging, she quickly made her way back to the school gymnasium so the team wouldn't have to wait too long. When she was nearing Seirin, her phone beeped, signaling a text message.

...

From: Okuma Ichirou

To: Okuma Tomoko

_Hey, I'm coming home to visit this weekend! Remind me of the new address?_

(17:06)

_..._

Tomoko smiled down at her device. Despite his hard-working nature, he was very forgetful.

Her brother was twenty years old and went to an university in Akita, which was quite a few hours away from her new home in Tokyo. Tomoko hasn't seen him in a while since she was so busy with moving so she was thrilled.

...

From: Okuma Tomoko

To: Okuma Ichirou

_Did you forget already? Still same as always, Ichi-nii! __It's Golden Place #105, 12-choume._

(17:08)

...

After looking it over once to make sure she typed the address right, she hit the send button. As she was trying to stuff the phone back into her skirt pocket, the plastic bag on her arm slipped and a few bottles of energy drinks rolled out and down the sidewalk.

Tomoko ran after the runaway drinks with a pout. "Ahhh, come back, bottles!" They continued to roll until it hit someone's shoe, in which the stranger bent down and picked it up.

"Here~"

"Th-Thank you," she said, out of breath from the chase.

Looking up, she reached out to retrieve the drinks but she suddenly paused. A very handsome young man in an ironed gray suit was beaming softly at her. He had perfect blonde hair and molten pools of gold for eyes.

He looked very familiar.

"Ar—"

"Hey," the blonde said suddenly, noticing her school uniform, "you're from Seirin, right? Can you show me where the gymnasium is located?"

"Huh? Oh, sure," Tomoko said, momentarily pushing aside her last thought. "I'm heading there. Follow me!"

Kise Ryouta smiled. It looks like his charm was working well. He followed the caramel haired girl as she led him across the courtyard and through the side doors, where it led to the gymnasium.

However, his appearance was causing a scene with the females of Seirin. They spotted and recognized him right away, being a popular teen model and all, and fans immediately crowded around him like a mob.

"It's him!"

"Kise-kun, what are you doing here?"

"Kyaa, I'm so lucky!"

The sudden mob left Tomoko flabbergasted and crawling away for air. _What the...? _She gazed at the blonde intently, and suddenly, her mind clicked. _Kise Ryouta, he is one of the Generation of Miracles!_

"There you are, Okuma-chan! You were gone for so long," Riko pulled the girl back to where the team was practicing. She frowned at the commotion at the entrance of the gymnasium. "What's going on?"

"Uh, I didn't mean for this to happen," the blonde male apologized sheepishly even as he was still passing out his autographs for the heart-eyed girls.

"It's good to see you again," Kuroko nodded his head at his former teammate. Tomoko looked at them and saw that the atmosphere was a little tense between the two.

_This is one of the five who made Kuroko-kun almost give up on basketball?_

"I've wanted to ask, why were you standing outside of our school?" Tomoko asked, a bit irritated that his fans almost trampled her earlier.

"Oh, I still need to thank you for bringing me in! Will you like an autograph?"

Tomoko blinked. "Um. No?"

"Whaaa?" the blonde seemed surprised at the rejection, but then his face sobered down to a small grin. "Okay, to answer your question then. When I heard that we'll be playing Seirin, I remembered that Kuroko-cchi went there, so I came to see him. We were best friends."

"Not really," Kuroko stated bluntly.

Tears immediately formed around Kise's eyes. "You're so mean!"

_He's somewhat... An idiot._

"That's...Kise Ryouta," Furihata relayed the stats and information he read from the _Monthly Basketball Magazine_ back to his team. They looked at the blonde model in wonder.

"I'm not that great, honestly, the article is exaggerating," Kise said with embarrassment, "I'm the worst of the bunch. That's why I was bullied along with Kuroko-cchi so much in middle school."

"It never happened to me," Kuroko answered again with a straight face.

"It was only me then?!"

_...Really,_ Tomoko laughed to herself. But, she wasn't going to let that slide. It was the_golden_ opportunity! "Kise Ryouta!" she jumped in front of him as she pointed a finger at his face with a serious expression.

"Ah, yes?" he smiled sweetly at her.

"I—!" Just then, a basketball came flying in the direction of the two, and before anyone could comprehend what was happening...

It hit Tomoko square on the back of her head.

"BAKA! Bakagami!" Riko screamed as she quickly ran to the falling girl. Since Kise was right next to her, she was thankful that the model caught the team's manager on time.

The whole team glared at Kagami with a killing intent.

"O-Oi, I d-didn't mean to hit h-her...!"

"Whush-pa?" Tomoko said dizzily in the blonde's arms. She was okay, but her vision was a little blurry from the force of the hit. Blinking a few times seemed to work in gaining back her sight. "What was that for, Ka-kun? I was just about to start my oh-so-amazing declaration!"

"Y-You were in the way, Okuma!_ I_ was going to challenge him!" Kagami barked back, though his form was slowing shrinking with the still glaring eyes of the Seirin coach. She pounced him and forced him into a headlock.

Tomoko pulled away from Kise's embrace, oblivious to the fact that some girls would kill to be in the hansome model's arms, and tried to stand. She wobbled a little and this time Kuroko came up next to her and steadied her footing.

"Thanks, Kuroko-kun," she smiled and leaned half of her weight on her friend. Her head felt woozy. "Anyway, Kise Ryouta!" she once again continued and the team sweat-dropped.

"Ummm, are you okay?" Kise squeaked this time.

"You were one of the people who made Kuroko-kun sad with your valueless basketball!"

"M-My valueless basketball...?"

Tomoko's salmon eyes zeroed in on his golden orbs. "That's right! All you guys care about is winning, and that's not what is most important about playing basketball."

"Ha? Why does it matter?" Kise frowned. Who was this girl and why was she telling him this? Did he happen to rub her the wrong way in the past?

"It matters a lot!" she protested. From her peripheral vision she could see Kagami struggling to get away from the demonic coach. "Your basketball is nothing without passion. And even if Kuroko-kun thinks that Ka-kun can't reach your feet right now, _I_ believe that he can—with one hand tied to his back!"

"O-Okuma-chan!" The group shouted with exasperation. Did the girl even realize what she was saying?

"I challenge you to a one-on-one! With Kagami!"

Kagami, although a little annoyed that he didn't get to initiate the challenge _himself_, didn't oppose nonetheless to having a one-on-one with Kise. "Yeah, don't tell me you just came here to greet us. Why don't you play with me a little, pretty boy?" he smirked.

"What? But I just..." Kise was at loss about this salmon eyed girl. _I don't even know her, and she seems to hate me...!_ But he wouldn't back down from a challenge, either—he wanted to see why Kuroko was adamant about picking Seirin of all schools. "Fine, let's do it."

Riko let out a sigh. "Unbelievable."

Tomoko and Kuroko stood besides the Seirin coach, the girl radiating off a lopsided grin. "This will be fun!"

"This could be bad," the blue haired boy corrected. She looked at his expression and knew immediately what he was talking about. She had prodded him to tell her more about the blonde Kaijo player just the other day.

_"He learns to play as soon as he sees them and makes them his own."_

Sure enough, as soon as the two started to move on the court, Kise smirked and took off with the ball and passed Kagami with a spin, much like the redhead had did earlier and easily made the dunk.

"The Generation of Miracles has improved far more quickly than I expected," Kuroko said with a serious tone.

He was better _and_ stronger. Kagami was left falling to the ground.

"He easily defeated Kagami! Okuma-chan, didn't you say that Kagami could beat him? And with one hand tied?!" Tsuchida cried as the first-years and regulars all looked at her, wondering the same thing.

"I said that Ka-kun could reach Kise Ryouta's feet. I didn't say anything about _beating _him..." Tomoko chuckled behind Kuroko, a hand scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

"Okuma-chan!"

"Heh heh..." she grinned, but in the inside she was struck with amazement.

_His capability to perform a copy of every move really is impressive..._

"This won't do... After something so disappointing, I can't just leave now," Kise said as he walked towards the team. "Give us Kuroko-cchi."

Everyone looked bewildered at the request. _Huh__?_

"Come join us," he lent out a hand to Kuroko. "Let's play basketball together again."

Tomoko was frowning at the blonde's obnoxious request. He was practically looking down at Seirin, at her team who worked so hard everyday because of their passion for basketball. "No," she stepped between Kise and Kuroko, her arms spread out to prevent the blonde from coming any closer. "Kuroko-kun is mine."

Blink.

Blink.

"EHHHHHHHH?!" the guys in the gym all chorused. Does Okuma Tomoko have a crush on their phantom player?!

"Kuroko-kun belongs to us because he _chose_ Seirin, not Kaijo. You can't just waltz in and take him! So I'm sure Kuroko-kun feels the same way when I say that he won't go with you," Tomoko elaborated, oblivious to the speculations that was currently going around. Though, the team soon sighed when they realized that the girl was just very straightforward with her words.

"But..." Kise pouted cutely, "Kuroko-cchi would fair so much better with us! It would be a waste of his talent if he stayed here."

"That's what you think," Tomoko huffed, a determined glint in her eyes. "We will show you just what 'a waste of talent' Kuroko-kun will be with _Kaijo _when we show you guys what Seirin can do at the game!"

There she goes again, making bold statements. But the team agreed wholeheartedly.

"Yes Kise-kun, though I am honored," Kuroko said, bowing, "I will have to decline your offer."

* * *

"Geez..." Kise sighed when he went on his way back home. It didn't even make any sense... why would Kuroko stay in Seirin? Wasn't winning everything?

_"My thinking has changed since then."_

He walked down the streets, replaying what the boy had told him. Kuroko was never one to joke about things like that. Were the Generation of Miracles not important to him anymore? Kise couldn't believe it.

_"I've promised Kagami-kun that we'd beat you, the Generation of Miracles."_

_And the girl... Okuma Tomoko, was it?_ Kise thought, furrowing his perfect brows slightly. She was an interesting character; he had thought that she was one of his fans, but that clearly wasn't the case. It was... sort of refreshing... and kind of scary.

_"Just remember that this is war, Kise Ryouta!"_

A pout made its way to his lips as his expression turned animated. _But why does such a pretty girl have some kind of mission against me?!_

* * *

_"Because along with Kagami Taiga, Okuma Tomoko has also become my new light."_

_-Kuroko Tetsuya_

* * *

**Kise makes my day happier. XD**

**Review?**


	3. Kaijo, Meet Your Match!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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**_SPARK_**

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The day of Seirin's practice match with Kaijo came fast with everyone's anticipation. The team, all pumped up and ready, were well on their way to Kanagawa to face one of the famed Generation of Miracles.

Not to mention that the Kaijo basketball team itself was on a national level—Seirin was going to have a challenging time, but that was what they trained so hard for these few days.

"Wow, look guys, I'm shaking in excitement!" Koganei said, turning to his team mates to show his point, but his cat-like grin showed a pinch of nervousness.

"Koganei-kun, I think you're shaking in fear," Kuroko commented out of nowhere, earning a loud _'eeeep!'_ from Riko and startled gasps from the rest of the guys.

Kagami, who barely had _any _sleep last night from the tension and eager building up to meet Kise Ryouta again, took the scare harder than anyone else. His eyes ticked, "Oi, I need to put a damn bell on you," his large hand came down on the blue haired boy's head.

"I wouldn't like that, Kagami-kun."

"Then stop sneaking on people all the time!"

"But I've been here the entire time. You just didn't notice me."

"You're hard to notice!"

A headache was starting to form in Riko's head by merely watching the two argue back and forth—or more like Kagami yelling unnecessarily loud and Kuroko giving blank stares and even blanker responses that gets the redhead more riled up.

The rest of the team could feel the dark aura serpentine around their coach in a menacing manner, and they smartly inched a few steps back.

_And Kagami looks like he hasn't slept in days... that baka. He better give a good performance today._

"Quiet, idiots!" she bellowed with authority. It successfully got the impulsive redhead to shut his mouth, and with the speedy cooperation she seemed to mellow out immediately. "Alright guys, we're heading to Kaijo now! Is everybody here?"

There were a few head-nods before Mitobe hastily signalled something.

"Eh? Okuma-chan disappeared!"

Riko whipped her head left and right to see that the perky team manager was indeed not present. She should have figured—there would've been even more chatter if the salmon eyed girl was here. "Where is she?" she demanded, though her voice was laced with worry.

"Okuma-san said that she will catch up to us in a little bit." Kuroko held his phone up for all to see. It was a text message from Tomoko stating that she will be at Kaijo by the time the game starts since she had to take care of something else right now.

"Ah, that girl..." Riko sighed in relief. Her ears perked suddenly as she shot a glare at the guys who were not-too-silently complaining in envy about how Kuroko was able to get a cute girl's number. "Get yourselves together, idiots! Kaijo won't disappoint us so we have to do our best!"

"Sir yes sir!" the team chorused with some intimidation from the coach. They even threw in a hand-salute.

"We'll meet Okuma-chan at Kaijo, so let get going," she told the guys and they marched forth along with her. She was a bit worried, since Tomoko wasn't travelling together with them, but she figured that the girl will be fine by herself. "Kaijo's not hard to find. She won't get lost."

* * *

"Heh... I think I might be lost..." Tomoko chuckled to herself with embarrassment.

The time was glaring back at her, yelling at her to get her herself together to her team. In less than ten minutes the practice match will be starting, and she didn't think she was anywhere near Kaijo High.

The last thing she wanted to do would be to call Riko and try to explain why she was currently lost in Kanagawa... Though Tomoko may seem carefree and unaffected by most things, the coach could be very scary when she wanted to be and even Tomoko didn't want to get on her bad side.

So she tried to call Kuroko instead. The phone dialled dully in her ear for a few seconds before the other end picked up.

"Kuroko-kun!" she shouted into the cell with despair.

"O-Oi, you're so loud!"

Tomoko blinked. That was not Kuroko's voice on the other end; it sounded more like...

"Ka-kun?"

"Why aren't you here yet, brat? We're at Kaijo already!"

"I'm lost Ka-kun!" Tomoko pouted, looking around the alien street signs. "All I know is that I'm in front of Miyaki Sushi... can you come get me?"

"Ha?! I gotta get ready for the game, brat, come here yourself! Kaijo's just a street down from that sushi place, we passed it before we got here."

Tomoko pouted. "Please? I spent all this time making these _delicious_ cookies for you guys... I won't be able to give it to you if I don't know where the school is..." she baited, knowing that the redhead was keen on food.

"...Fine. Stay where you are!"

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_three_

**kaijo, meet your match!**

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As soon as Tomoko spotted the tall basketball player appearing around the corner, she sprinted towards him with a bright smile on her face.

"Ka-kun, you came!" she beamed up at him happily.

"D-Don't get used to it," Kagami tried to pry the smaller girl away from his body, a small embarrassed blush colouring his cheeks. "And I told you to stop calling me that, it's s—hmurfm!"

Tomoko successfully shut the boy up by stuffing his mouth with one of her freshly baked white chocolate chip cookies. She may not be good at many things, but baking was her strong point and she can see that Kagami was enjoying the sweet.

"That still does not excuse how troublesome you are, brat," he mumbled afterwards.

"It's not nice to call people 'brat,' Ka-kun," she, in turn, chided him.

"You're the one calling me with a pansy nickname!"

Tomoko blew a raspberry at the tall basketball player. "Then, should I call you Ka-_chan_?" she stifled a laugh, but the murderous look on his face was all it took for her to retract her words. "H-How about Gami-kun?"

"No."

"...Taiga-chan?"

"No!"

"There you guys are! Kuroko-cchi told me you left and I got worried!"

Kise, dressed in a sleeveless black shirt and orange shorts, jogged up to them when they walked through the gates of Kaijo. The handsome model greeted them with a bright smile. Even though he was slightly sweating, he still looked stunning.

"I'll take you two to the gym, everyone's waiting~" he said, grabbing a hold of Tomoko's hand. "Ne, your scary declaration still makes me cry at night!"

"Just show us the way," Kagami said with irritation.

"No girl has said anything like that to me before, so I was shocked!" Kise seemingly ignored the redhead as he chattered on. His golden eyes landed on the bag of cookies the girl was holding. "Oh my, are these for me~?"

"Maybe~" Tomoko blinked before smiling. "Taiga_-_chan is a big eater!"

"H-Hey! Let's just get to the gym!" Kagami growled, annoyed that he was repeatedly ignored by the two. "I was pumped up all night knowing that I'll be going against one of the Generation of Miracles!"

"Ah!" Tomoko suddenly cried in realization, "That's why your face looks even more scarier than usual!"

"S-Shut up ya brat!"

Kise chuckled and a smirk grew across his cheerful expression.

"Like I told Kuroko-cchi, I don't care about being called the Generation of Miracles, but I can't ignore such an obvious challenge—I'm not mature enough to let it slide," he turned to face Kagami, his expression darkening.

_He's becoming serious... _Tomoko regarded the blonde model in a neutral manner.

"Sorry, but I'm going to crush you with everything I have."

Kagami felt himself getting fired up all over again upon hearing that. His grin matched his opponent's expression. "Sounds good."

_This will be one hell of a practice match!_

* * *

The squeaks of sneakers could be heard in the courts even as the three were coming up outside of the gymnasium. When the door opened, they saw what the rest of Seirin saw with a shocked frown marring their faces.

"—So um, what is this?" Tomoko and Kagami heard the confused tone from their coach echoing across the court.

The gym was divided into two sides by a giant transparent net. On one half, a bunch of players from Kaijo were dribbling basketballs and doing warm ups, and the other half was set up like a game.

"Why is the court split?" Tomoko whispered loudly.

Their attention was drawn to the short and stocky Kaijo basketball coach, Takeuchi Genta, who was talking to Riko about his 'arrangements.' "It's exactly what it looks like," he explained with an off-handed tone, "There won't be enough to learn from today's game to make it worth watching for the guys sitting out, so we're letting the other players practice as usual to not waste time."

If he did see the pissed looks on the Seirin member's faces, he chose to ignore it. Tomoko could see that Riko was just a second away from bursting in flames and giving the middle-aged man a piece of her mind, but she held back with a small, fake smile.

"Despite the arrangements, you'll be playing our regulars. I hope you won't let us triple your score," Takeuchi finished and walked away.

_The man's really done it this time..._ Tomoko sighed as the atmosphere around the Seirin team darken drastically. No one was pleased with coach Takeuchi's blatant insults, but it fueled their determination to show their revenge on the court.

"They think we suck."

Kuroko and Tomoko looked up to their team's ace to see that he had a dark, angry grin on his face. And if the whole 'split-court' wasn't insulting enough, the stocky coach walked up to Kise and told him to _sit out._

He was really underestimating Seirin's ability—they will just have to prove their worth and make the Kaijo coach eat his words.

"Come on, I believe in you guys!" As a team manager, Tomoko was going to make sure that she does everything she can to cheer her precious team up. She wasn't going to make them feel like they're insignificant in any way, because they were so much more. Pumping her fists in the air, she grinned, "We'll let Kaijo see that we are _not_ sideshows!"

"I'm sorry! Seriously sorry!" Kise ran up to them with an apologetic frown. He didn't like his coach's decision any more than Seirin, but he could do nothing about it. Secretly, he pointed to his team, "If you give these guys a beating, I'm sure he'll put me in. Besides..."

_That look in his eyes... _Tomoko watched his expression change_. He's looking down on Seirin again._

"If you can't force him to put me in, you shouldn't go around saying you'll beat the Generation of Miracles."

_Why does he think that he's unbeatable?_

"Please warm up then, Kise-kun," Kuroko said blankly, but anyone could see the emotion in his eyes as he locked gazes with the Generation of Miracle. He was confident. "We don't have time to wait."

He left Kise momentarily stunned before the team disappeared into the locker room to change. Tomoko stayed behind since it wasn't necessary for her to go with the team.

"Why do you play basketball, Kise-kun?" she asked the blonde seriously.

Kise looked down at the girl, being a good few inches taller than her, and gave her a small pout. "What kind of question is that? I play because I like to win~"

"But playing only for the sake of winning," Tomoko took an assertive step towards the male. "Doesn't it feel empty?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean," Kise shrugged.

Only a smile ghosted over the salmon eyed girl's lips. She was confident that she will be able to change his way of thinking by the end of this.

* * *

The game was finally starting; the referee blew the whistle and the ball was thrown into the air.

_This doesn't look good; I can't see everything through their clothes, but their numbers are way higher than average. Our numbers are way behind, _Riko narrowed her chocolate eyes in thought._ Its honestly not surprising for a nationally strong team... We've got Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun, but how far can they take us?_

"Did you see that, Riko-san? The referee and the other team was totally surprised to see Kuroko-kun! It's like they saw a ghost!" Tomoko giggled from the sidelines as she stood next to the Seirin coach, cheering her team on.

She knocked on the girl's head playfully. "You do that too. We all do; Kuroko Tetsuya's presence is undetectable if you're not expecting him, that's what makes him a great support player." As she said that, Kaijo's number 4, otherwise known as the team captain Kasamatsu Yukio, got the ball smacked out of his hands by none other that Kuroko. "But Kaijo is strong even without Kise Ryouta playing."

"We'll be fine!"

Watching the basketball team practice everyday, Tomoko could really see the improvements they made and how much better they've become. Especially Kuroko and Kagam, who's coordination are really matching up nicely. They looked unstoppable on the court.

_Uwahhh, they look so cool!_

She saw that the ball was passed to Kagami from behind and the boy grabbed it with one hand and jumped towards the net.

_DUNK!_

The sheer force shook the entire length of the basketball apparatus. Kagami had successfully dunked the ball into the net, surprising the opponent team. However, when he landed back on his feet, everyone's jaw's dropped.

In Kagami's hand was the rim of the basketball net.

"Wow!"

"He destroyed the net!"

"You're kidding!"

While the Kaijo team and Takeuchi was shocked beyond comprehension, Kagami seemed wildly amused with the hoop in his hand. Izuki commented about the rusted bolts that caused the break, but to be able to knock the screw off entirely was almost an inhuman feat.

Riko was immediately by coach Takeuchi's side, apologizing profusely to the middle aged man. Following her example was Kuroko, with Kagami grinning stupidly with satisfactory.

"I'm sorry that we destroyed your hoop," the blue haired boy bowed. "Since we can't play like this, could we use the full court?"

Though Takeuchi looked pissed, he complied and the Kaijo players that were using the other half of the court cleaned up to make room for the game. He barked out some orders and called for Kise to play in the game, finally.

Tomoko ran around and helped as much as she could since she had nothing else to do. The others didn't seem to mind or care who she was as long as they had an extra person helping. She spotted an abandoned gym bag lying on the side of the court but didn't recognize it as Seirin's. The big bold letters on the side said _Kaijo._

"Hi, is this one of your teammate's?" she presented the black bag like a present when she skipped over to the other team, almost close to thrusting it into Kasamatsu's face had she not held on to it.

"U-Uh, yeah. Thanks...!" the captain sputtered nervously. While the third year was normally confident and assertive, he was comically shy and bashful around girls.

"You're welcome!" Tomoko flashed her lopsided smile, causing the captain to flush even more. "You're the Kaijo basketball team's captain, Kasamatsu Yukio, right? I can tell that you're really good, being able to out-jump Taiga-chan and take the ball!"

Kasamatsu blinked at the short girl in front of him. Was she really _complimenting_ her opponent team?

"But your downfall was not noticing Kuroko-kun. You shouldn't underestimate us~" she sang. Kasamatsu looked like he wanted to retort her remark but she suddenly clapped her hands together, making the captain jump. "I'm Okuma Tomoko, by the way; Seirin's team manager. Can I call you Yuki-kun?"

"W-What?" Kasamatsu asked nervously. What an arbitrary request—he just met this girl after all!

"Or maybe Kasa-kun will be a little less informal since we just met?" she wondered, not noticing the flush on the captain's cheeks. She just thought that a nickname would lighten the male up a little, since he seemed to be kind of stiff.

At this time Kaijo's shooting guard, the flirtatious Moriyama Yoshikata, came floating by the two and immediately had his eyes on Tomoko. "Captain, I didn't know you were capable of talking to girls!" he cried in surprise as he inched closer to the salmon eyed girl with flowers blossoming around him. "I found the girl I want to play my game for today~!"

Tomoko grinned at that, not getting the underlying meaning of his words. "Do you always dedicate games to basketball fans? That is very considerate of you!"

"I do, especially for pretty ladies like yourself!" Moriyama looked like he was on cloud nine, floating to paradise.

Kasamatsu scowled and slapped the shooting guard on the side of his head, his confident nature coming back as he scolded his teammate. "There's no time to dote on fangirls! We have a game to play!" He started to pull the flirtatious male away.

"Wait, Kasa-kun!" Tomoko called as she ran behind up behind him. He looked at her expectantly before she stuck out her thumb. "Please do your best against Seirin! I know that Kaijo is amazing, but we will never _Seirin-der!_"

Though Kasamatsu was blushing from the nickname she gave him, he and Moriyama both almost missed a step with her cheesy pun. Nonetheless, the captain nodded in acknowledgement. "I wasn't planning on it," he said, then tuning back to gather his team before the game starts. Noticing that their star player was slacking at the corner and talking to the opposing team, he called out with command. "Oi Kise, get your ass back here!"

The handsome blonde ran up to his captain obediently, a big smile plastered on his face as he animatedly talked about something, or someone—namely the phantom player of Seirin and his former teammate. Tomoko could see that he truly respected Kuroko as a basketball player and thought of the phantom as a dear friend.

_He's actually a pretty friendly person... _Tomoko smiled to herself._ I can tell that he's a good friend to Kuroko-kun. _She watched the two teams get into position; the whistle blew once again and the official practice game started. The screeching of sneakers were like rhythms to a fast-paced song and the players were the singers. Three players in particular stood out the most, like the chorus.

_But everyone on this court is spectacular._

It was their time to prove their skill.

* * *

_"I think Izuki-senpai is so cool! F__inally there's someone who share the same type of witty humor as me! I must learn more!"_

_-Okuma Tomoko_

* * *

**Review?**


	4. Happy-Go-Lucky

Thank you guys for the awesome reviews! **CHECK THIS OUT** ~ fanart courtesy of the lovely **Sainganin. San **(or **Mirikon** on DeviantArt)!

(paste after deviantart dot com, or go to my profile for complete link): **/art/To-mo-ko-536954312**

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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_"I'm sorry, because of the unexpectedly high-paced play, my effectiveness is already wearing off."_

_"Wh-What?!"_

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_four_

**happy-go-lucky**

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"Why don't you acknowledge it already? You're years away from challenging the Generation of Miracles."

Tomoko stopped shaking her white pompoms in midair (yes, she was taking her job as a team manager and supporter _very_ seriously) and tried to listen to what the blonde and Kagami was talking about during the foul.

The score gap between Kaijo and Seirin was getting bigger, and Seirin seems to be slowing down. Her team was trying, though. Gods were they trying.

"—No matter what you throw at me, with one look, I'll return it twice as good."

It was true, whatever Kagami tried to do, any moves or plays he tried to make, Kise Ryouta copied and even enhanced it. It was a rough match against the miracle, not to mention that the team also had to rely less on Kuroko because of how much the intensity of the game was taking a toll on his body by forcing him to use his misdirection so frequently.

However, Tomoko just knew that someone as good as Kise _had_ to have a weak spot—she just needed for the team to find the Achilles heel.

"It's been a while since anyone's said that to me," Kagami laughed, I heard it all the time over there."

"Over there?" Kise asked, then gasped in amazement when the redhead revealed that he had lived in America for some time.

"I thought I jumped the gun coming back here to play... Hearing you say that is encouraging, really. Life is all about challenges, there's no point in living if there's no one strong to play," Kagami tightened his fist and smirked, "It's better if I can't win!"

Tomoko grinned at his statement; she too was not willing to give up on her team yet, no matter how strong the other team was. One mountain couldn't fit two tigers, and she fully believed that Kagami will be the tiger that prevails. _Tiger? Wait...!_

"And besides..."

"I gotta write this down for the future!" she suddenly said aloud, startling both Riko and the players on the court.

"H-Huh?" they questioned in unison as the caramel haired girl dug around her bag. It looked like she couldn't find whatever she was looking for, because then she hopped to the side to continued searching in one of their gym bags. "Okuma-chan...?"

Tomoko poked her head up for a second and called across the court. "Izuki-senpai! I'm going to borrow your notepad to write down this amazing pun~" The eagle eye point guard blinked a few times before nodding enthusiastically.

"Ou! Have _pun_!"

The seriousness of the court dissipated momentary as they all sweat dropped to the duo's obsession with puns kicking off in full gear. Seriously, if the Seirin team didn't know better, they would think that the girl was Izuki Shun's long-lost sister.

And,_ What an odd team,_ Kaijo thought in unison.

"A-Anyway!" The perky team manager only waved back innocently as Kagami shot a small glare towards her way for interrupting what he was going to say. "I know your weakness now, Kise," he declared.

That not only caught the blonde himself off guard, it got the whole court wondering what that 'weakness' could be.

_He found it?! _"What is it? A certain number of copies he can only do? A blind spot?" Tomoko jumped up and down, excited to hear the big reveal.

"Neither. He said he can take on anything with one look," Kagami explained with a wide smirk, then turning to face Kise, "but what if you can't see it? Against someone who's already invisible, you can't ever achieve an invisible basketball style, no matter how athletic you are. So your weakness," his large hand came down on Kuroko's head and he dragged the boy over in front of him, cackling proudly, "is _him_!"

"What are you doing," Kuroko droned in monotone, but there was a hint of exasperation.

Everyone seemed to be floored by the Seirin ace's announcement, but Hyuuga Junpei was the first to come back from it. "Kagami's powerless against Kise, but his weakness is...?"

"Aside from passing, the weakest guy on the court... Kuroko-kun?" Riko finished the captain's thought incredulously. The others look surprised, as well.

"...Ah. That makes sense!" Tomoko said, drawing all of the attention towards her when she realized what Kagami meant. She flashed them a lopsided smile. "Kise-kun can't imitate Kuroko-kun's plays—it's too unique. That's what makes Kuroko-kun so much more amazing!"

Being so blatantly shot down about his own skills, Kise pouted at Tomoko dramatically. Didn't girls idolize him? Why was _she_ repeatedly doubting his basketball? "But what does that change?"

"It changes everything," Kagami smirked confidently.

The whistle for the end of first quarter came to signal break, and before they knew it, they were back on the court after a short 2 minutes, recharged to start the second quarter. Both teams made new plays and strategies after learning from the previous quarter.

This time, Kaijo was smart to focus their attention on Kagami and Kuroko's passes. But the light and shadow duo were an un-staggering force... For the most part. Tomoko giggled when the two lost control of the ball.

As the quarter played on, however, Kise was getting increasingly irritated by Kuroko's misdirection passes—he wasn't used to playing on opposite teams with his 'teammate.' It further stunned the blonde when the boy became his mark, rendering him unable to run by. But Kise wasn't powerless, either.

He jumped for a three-pointer. Or so he thought—Kagami was actually covering the top. Kagami had prepared to jump higher with the help of his _shadow _and slammed the ball down from midair.

"Fast break!"

Kise growled and spun around, trying to catch up to the redhead. The fast motion made his arm swing outward and he unintentionally hit Kuroko, who was behind him at this point, hard in the head. Time was drowned in slow-motion as Kuroko came crashing onto the ground.

Gasps from the players and fans watching from the second floor rang throughout the court, and Tomoko dropped everything when she saw how serious her blue haired friend was hurt.

"KUROKO-KUN!"

* * *

Off in the distance, one could see a black haired teen pedaling a bicycle as he huffed and wheezed. Chained to the bike was a wooden cart, and inside sat a calm, bespectacled green haired teen.

Takao Kazunari was breathing hard, riding uphill _and_ lugging two hundred pounds behind him wasn't what he would call a casual workout. "We were supposed to trade at the signal, damn it!" he whined, but continued the painful torture. "You haven't pedaled once!"

"Of course I haven't," Midorima Shintaro replied, raising up his chilled drink. He was feeling no remorse for the black haired teen whatsoever. As a firm believer of Oha-Asa, he wouldn't waste "the greatest of days for Cancers" on pulling a cart.

Thinking back to that, it reminded him about another thing Oha-Asa predicted this morning... "There will be a new journey awaiting...?" he relayed.

"What?" Takao huffed, having heard Midorima say something.

"Oha-Asa suggests that I should go on a journey." _A journey during the new school year though?_ He questioned silently. _But, __Oha-Asa is never wrong. _

"Ha?! Coming all this way to see a practice match _is_ a journey! Your middle school teammates better be good!" Takao shouted, scaring pedestrians as he cycled by. He was rather annoyed with his green haired friend's obsession with the wacky horoscope. Who still believed in things like that these days?!

Midorima paused for a second. "It's the copycat and the invisible man," he said, taking a sip of his drink. "Hurry up, or the game will be over."

"Wh—what! It's your fault for reading the horoscopes!"

* * *

Having been checked on his injuries, Kuroko was confirmed that he would be out for the rest of the game. The hit had caused an open cut along the side of his forehead, and Tomoko was in charge of taking care of him as the rest of the team played without their shadow for the remainder of the game.

"Riko-san! I'm going to go get more ice for Kuroko-kun," Tomoko announced before getting up. She was out of the gymnasium doors faster than Riko could reply.

_That girl..._ the coach sighed, facing back to her team. They were on the fourth quarter now, the score was 68 to 74 in Kaijo's favor, but at least the gap was closing in. However... Seirin didn't have much energy left.

"Coach, isn't there anything we can do?" Kawahara asked, worried.

"If only we had Kuroko-kun..." she mumbled absentmindedly. They were really struggling hard against Kaijo at this point.

"Very well," Kuroko said from behind them as he was slowly getting up. Riko and the other first-years turned around in surprise. He got up, one eye still closed from the slight throbbing of his forehead. "Good morning. I'll be going then," he walked towards the court.

"Hey, wait!" Riko stepped in front of the boy, not expecting him to have the strength to get up and play. What she said just kind of slipped out, she didn't want Kuroko to play with such a severe injury!

"I want to help in anyway I can. Plus, I promised Kagami-kun that I will be his shadow," he said determinedly.

Riko hesitated a little bit before giving in, but promising that if he looked to be in any sort of trouble, she was going to pull him right out.

He smiled thankfully and hopped to the court.

_Geez, that boy..._

* * *

Maybe she shouldn't have ran out of the gym so quick, and should have went to ask for directions. Kaijo was huge—it didn't even take Tomoko a minute to get lost.

Taking an adventurous left, she was met with a large hallway with classes lined down each side. She figured the nurse's office shouldn't be too far... But then again, she didn't know how Kaijo was set up compared to Seirin.

There were no students in sight since most went home and the few that stay were at the practice match. "Hello?" she asked, even though she knew she wouldn't get an answer. Continuing down the hall, she poked her head through the identical classrooms to see if there was anyone in sight.

Then, turning towards the stairs, she spotted a green head bobbing up the steps.

"Excuse me!" she called down the staircase to get the person's attention. "Can you tell me where the nurse's office is?" When the green head came fully into view after meeting her up the stairs, she was met with not one, but two bewildered teens. _They're not wearing Kaijo's uniforms though, are they...?_

"We do not go here," the one with glasses replied in monotone.

"Oh..." she pouted.

"From your uniform, it looks that you're not from this school either? Could it be that you came with Seirin High?" the other teen asked enthusiastically.

"Takao, we're not here to chit-chat."

Tomoko blinked at the two males. The one with glasses didn't look particularly friendly, but that never stopped her from conversing with random people. "Aw, you're no fun. But yes, I am from Seirin! Okuma Tomoko, Seirin team manager!" she stuck out her hand for a handshake.

The guy named Takao took it and smiled, "I'm Takao Kazunari! This is Midorima Shintaro," he nodded at his friend, "he doesn't like anything other than his Oha-Asa readings. He has a weird obsession with it."

"It is not an obsession!" Midorima growled, clutching his ceramic frog, the lucky item of the day, harder in his taped hands.

"Oha-Asa?" inquiry shone in Tomoko's eyes as she peered at the ceramic frog. "Do they actually work?"

"Of course," Midorima huffed.

Takao draped an arm across his friend's shoulders, but was immediately shoved off. He laughed. "Shin-chan brings them to games and apparently that 'guarantees' his wins, even though he also claims that he wouldn't lose regardless."

She titled her head to the side. _So they are basketball players as well? _"Well, I don't think you need lucky items at all as long as you're confident! And basing your day off of your horoscope... I mean, Oha-Asa's predictions can't always be correct!

"If you want to get technical, I can be pretty good at predictions too," she added, stroking her chin in a thinking manner.

The green haired male looked deeply insulted and turned his head sideways to ignore her. Sensing this, Takao tried to quiet her down with waving motions, but he did not know that Tomoko was always completely blunt and oblivious about her surroundings when it didn't come down to it.

"For example, I can say something like 'meeting a new friend will lead you down a road of surprise,' or something like that... It's vague but it can happen! But the point is, life is not a journey that's predicable, don't you think?" she finished with a fist pump, star shining in her eyes like those enthusiastic sales persons on TV.

Midorima turned back to the salmon eyed girl; his surprised look mirrored more of a glare than anything else. _Did she say 'journey?' Oha-Asa also_—

"Weren't you looking for the nurse's office, Tomo-chan? We passed it right around the corner over there," Takao quickly said, pointing to the direction of where they came from. He didn't want the girl to be under the bespectacled male's wrath for doubting his horoscope.

"Oh shoot, _ice_!" Tomoko gasped, remembering why she was out in the first place. "I gotta go!" she waved, "If you're watching the match, cheer for Seirin!"

The halls became silent again as the sound of her running footsteps became smaller and smaller. The Shutoku point guard let out a mental sigh and faced Midorima.

"Well... She's kind of interesting, huh? Looks like she's on the same team as one of your Teiko teammate."

"Let's go," the green haired miracle only said. _I__ wonder if she has anything to do with Oha-Asa's prediction..._

* * *

When the caramel haired girl came back with the ice, the injured phantom was no longer laying down to nurse his head. "Riko-san, Kuroko-kun's back in the game?!" she asked. _But his injury is still pretty bad...!_

"He insisted," the short haired coach looked at the girl and sighed with exasperation.

"You still should have stopped him..."

_As if I didn't... _Riko thought, eyeing Tomoko. _I have two stubborn mules. _Their team was fairing better, though, with Kuroko's misdirection coming back score was drawing close. Then...

_Swish!_

An uproar of astonished commentaries resounded from Kijo's side when Seirin made another basket. It was finally tied at 82 with Hyuuga's shot.

"We caught up!" Tomoko's initial worry was replaced by a cheer, her hands shooting up in the air.

Her eyes darted across the court proudly trying to locate the phantom, but then stopped when she noticed a change within Kise. He looked stunned that Seirin had caught up to them, but what caught her attention was that though he looked calm on the outside, she knew gears were turning in the inside; eve she could feel the burst of power that he was giving off.

Then, she saw him grin. _His whole demeanor changed...! _The Kise Ryouta right now was a lot different from the smiling, flamboyant model she first encountered at the gates of Seirin, but watching him, she now finally understood why Kuroko mentioned he had hated basketball for a certain time towards the end of middle school...

It was because the Kise he knew _changed._ He now only cared about winning this game, not for the team, but for himself. _To go from liking basketball, to this... That's..._

"He believes that he _can't_ lose..." she whispered.

Riko turned to her in surprise. "What?"

"Kuroko-kun told me something when we met," the salmon eyed girl glanced at the the two ex-Teiko basketball players. "He said in Teiko, they had never lost a single game before. Even when they don't put any teamwork into it towards the end, no team could beat them. They all slowly started to change their opinions about basketball... I think for Kise's case, it made him believe he was incapable of ever losing, even by himself.

"I don't think that was fair for Kuroko-kun, who loves basketball. Kise-kun's taking it upon himself to win the entire game as a one-man team—it's not how you should play."

"Is that so..." the coach stared at the usually perky team manager. _Though Okuma-chan says she doesn't know a whole lot about basketball, she is exceptionally sharp at observing the players. _"But with Kise like this... Seirin's chances becomes increasingly low."

Tomoko shook her head and smiled. "Seirin has good teamwork, and we'll show Kise-kun that."

_Show him...? _Riko then eyed the blonde warily. Was it even possible? The burst of energy had made him even stronger. Within a few seconds he was across the court like the speed of light, hisface displayed nothing but a resolve to win as he managed to bypass Kuroko and saw through the misdirection. He was set on scoring back the points all by himself. _No way! _

_"I won't lose. Not to anyone. Not even to Kuroko-cchi!"_

Tomoko dug her nails into her palms as she watched the the blonde score again and the players took off running. Scoring was the only thing on each player's mind. With each passing second, the intensity rose and the rest of the team by the bench were getting increasingly worried as the score continued to tie without advancing. Will Seirin make it?

Both teams were shouting directions to each other and she spotted Kagami and Kuroko running side by side, trying to catch up to Kise's insane speed and turnaround. They were planning something, she knew. _They got is..._

10 seconds... A fist pumped into the air, "Go Seirin!"

Hyuuga tried to grab control of the ball, but Kasamatsu was faster and bypassed him and jumped for a shot. However, he didn't anticipate Kagami blocking him.

5 seconds... Tomoko watched the ball fly across the court with a powerful throw and Kise was right behind it as Kagami passed the ball to Kuroko. From the practices, she knew that the blue haired teen was a horrible shooter, but even she knew passing it back would't work with the blonde on their tail.

"Kuroko-kun's going to...shoot?" she gasped in surprise. She leaned forward in suspense—there was only 3 seconds left! _But..._

_He can't shoot!_ Seirin thought simultaneously.

What Tomoko then saw made her break out into a wide grin. "Never underestimate teamwork!" The redhead was already jumping up for an alley-oop. It didn't matter that Kise jumped right after him; Kagami possessed the uncanny strength to fly higher than anyone. He was getting stronger, too.

"This ends now!" Kagami shouted as he pushed the ball in.

The buzzer signaled the end of the game just as the scoreboard buzzed—100 to 98. Seirin...

_Wins. _

The team roared with cheers. They beat Kaijo! Tomoko squealed and ran forward excitedly and high-fived her teammates. "You guys are awesome!" She was so excited that she even tired to enveloped them all into a tight hug, disregarding how sweaty they were.

Complaints from benched first-years quickly echoed throughout the gym as they, too, joined in.

"Wait, no fair!"

"Okuma-chan! I want a hug too~!"

"O-Oi!" Growing increasingly red and aware of the situation, Kagami tried to pry the joyous manager off. "L-Let go, brat!" The blue haired shadow, on the other hand, relished in the warmth of the girl's hug. She was proud of all of them, and likewise, he was too.

He was glad he could be part of Seirin.

* * *

Off to the sidelines, Kise Ryouta stood still at the same spot he landed when Seirin made the final basket. He didn't know _what_ to think. For the first time in his life... He— "I lost?"

Something wet fell onto his cheeks. _Huh?_ Was he... Crying? He tried to wipe them away, but he could still feel the wetness leaving his eyes.

"Is Kise-kun crying? But it's just a practice match!" Someone from the stands said.

"Stop crying, you idiot!" Kasamatsu shouted as he kicked the blonde. "Saying something like you've never lost before—you better add the word 'revenge' to that empty dictionary of yours!" the third-year berated, but he was smirking. They did their best today—the idiot, there was always next time!

_He's really crying... _Tomoko noticed when the rest of her team settled. Purposeful, she made her way towards Kaijo.

"Uh, Okuma?" Hyuuga questioned as he took a step forward, but Riko stopped him with her arm and shook her head. _Is this where you 'show' him, Okuma-chan?_

Tomoko let out a small giggle as she stopped in front of the downtrodden teen. Bending down slightly, she propped a hand on her knee as another hand stretched out towards him. "Listen to your captain, Kise-kun. He's telling you that you did great today!"

"But... I lost the game..." he blinked in confusion. Everyone would be ashamed to know that he made Kaijo lose a game...

"You and your teammates_ all_ tried your bests, so that's not 'losing.'" It was the sincerity of her voice that got Kise's attention. "I think there's nothing more courageous than losing spectacularly and then striving to do better the next time."

"I lost spectacularly?" This was the first time Kise has heard anything like this. This girl was something else...

"Yup! And you know what else? You can trust and rely on your teammates, that's why they're there. To be able to play basketball with those around you is the true joy," Tomoko smiled brightly. "Don't you think?"

Unable to muster up anything to say, Kise just stared at the quirky Seirin manager. He came to notice her trademark lopsided smile, her bright eyes that reminded him of cotton candy, creamy skin with the tiniest hint of freckles from the sun... and because of the closeness, he could smell the pleasant scent of baked goods that seemed to follow her.

"Well, that's all I have to say!" she declared loudly, unaware of Kise's thoughts and patted him encouragingly on the shoulder. Just before she turned back to her own team, she remembered one more thing. "Oh... And, I thought you were really cool out there, maybe just a little bit more than Taiga_-_chan_."_

She then quickly added with a goofy wink, "Don't tell him that though."

_"I heard that, brat!"_

Kise watch her skip happily away with a dumbfounded expression. _She... She still thinks I'm good..._ Whatever Okuma Tomoko has done, she has left him feeling his insides glowing with an undefinable warmth.

* * *

_Oha-Asa Horoscope_

_Today is your lucky day, Cancers! There will be a new journey awaiting you... Today's lucky item is the ceramic frog!_

_Libras come in as a close second! Don't be afraid to make new friends today, your lucky item is anything pink._

_...Unfortunately, Geminis are down on luck today. But, make sure to keep your eyes and ears open - you may be surprised._

* * *

**Review?**


	5. For Those Who Like to Meddle

I'm sorry for my absence! I was on vacation for the most part and then I had to attend summer gym so I could get the credit for next year—and then I sprained my foot. I'm back on the ground now though, so I've been cramming this update in with my work schedule. Please enjoy!

Also, if anyone wonders why Tomoko refers to Kagami with different names, it's because she knows it annoys him and therefore like to tease him with it. When she's serious though, the nicknames stop.

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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Kise let the fountain spurt water at his face, the cool liquid refreshing his sweat soaked face as well as washing away any evidence that he had cried. After a while, he shut off the faucet and hung his head low for the droplets to drip off his face.

It was still a pretty big shock to him that he had lost the practice match—Kuroko and his team was better than he imagined. The girl, Seirin's team manager, was of a great surprise to him as well.

Kise had expected her to rub it in his face after the game when Seirin won, but she did the complete opposite. She consoled and encouraged him... and it made him feel a special spark within him. He really didn't get her—didn't she declare some sort of vendetta against him and his "flawed" reason of playing basketball (not that he completely understood what exactly was so flawed about it)?

People always expected him to win because he was so good and considered one of the six Generation of Miracles, but she didn't care for that. She told him she wanted him to win with passion. He wanted to tell her that a win will still be a win no matter what you offer to the table, but to her, it was different.

He closed his eyes briefly. Maybe that was what Kuroko had meant when he said his thinking has changed...

"Gemini's horoscope predicted terrible luck for you today, but I didn't expect you to actually lose."

Kise stood up straight, his eyes fluttering open with a hint of bewilderment at his former teammate's presence. "You came to watch Midorima-cchi?"

"Even a monkey could have managed those dunks, it's no wonder fate didn't choose your side," Midorima replied curtly, his taped fingers coming up to fix his glasses.

The blonde sighed; what a typical response from the bespectacled male. "I haven't seen you since middle school... It's good to see you again, I see you still tape your fingers," he said with a small smile, "Plus why does it matter as long as it goes in?"

"That's where you're wrong. Getting the ball in from up close is easy, but getting it from far away has true value," the green haired teen said, referring to his specialty—he was the Generation of Miracle's number one shooter. He apparently didn't like Kise's style of playing because it lacked grace, unlike his own.

Midorima threw a towel at his former teammate, "I always do my best, and I always keep the Oha-Asa horoscope's lucky item on me, which today is the toy frog. That's why I never miss my shots."

The shooter's obsession with horoscopes still confuses Kise to this day, but he supposed that everyone had their own quirks, no matter how weird it was. "Have you talked to Kuroko-cchi? He's changed a lot since middle school..." mind flashing to a certain redhead and team manager, he then said, "and it looks like he made some new friends in Seirin."

Midorima turned to his side, "There's no need. B-blood types like myself and A-blood types like him never get along. I respect his style, but I do not particularly care what he does or who he befriends at... _Seirin._"

"Hm? Well, I think Seirin has some interesting people!"

"Are you referring to his new partner and that perky team manager?"

Kise blinked, "Midorima-cchi, you know them too?"

"No," he replied without much of an expression, "Kuroko seems to get along with the other player and I only met the girl briefly when I came."

"That's Kagami Taiga and Okuma Tomoko!" Kise said happily. Though he lost, he wasn't bitter at the team will admit that Kuroko's teammates were strong, and the salmon eyed girl did enlighten him of sorts today. "Aren't they something else?!"

"I only came because we'll play them in the division preliminaries, but truth to be told, they're not good enough," Midorima's back was to him now, with only his head crane slightly to the side to address him, "and as for the girl, she doesn't give much reason for me to be interested in." _And s__he insulted Oha-Asa, _he thought, looking to the distance. He could see a head of black bobbing this way.

"You bastard!"

The blonde cocked his head to the side, looking at what his friend was referring to and frowned in confusion. A black haired teen was pedaling a bike towards them with a big wooden cart in tow, an angry scowl on his face as he shouted at Midorima for making him grab the bike and then disappearing on him.

"Anyway, I want to apologize," the bespectacled teen continued and Kise raised his brows in question; "There is no way we will lose to Seirin. I regret to tell you that you should give up on your revenge."

Kise was about to reply, but then the sight of team Seirin walking out of the school made him pause. He watched Kuroko converse with Tomoko while absentmindedly touching his bandaged head; it caused Kise to feel bad for hitting his friend and former teammate even more.

"We need to bring you to the hospital right away!" He heard Tomoko say as she tugged at the boy's sleeve, urging him to follow her quickly out the gate.

"Wait for us, Okuma-chan!" the rest of her team called exasperatedly, trudging behind the ever energetic girl.

_My revenge against Seirin..._ Kise thought, watching the team disappear one by one through the gate. _Next time... huh._

* * *

"The doctor gave Kuroko-kun the okay. He's going to be fine!" Riko told the team, flashing a thumbs' up. They all cheered, happy that the injury wasn't serious because it looked like it hurt like hell.

"You really scared us back there though, you were bleeding!" Koganei said, patting the blue haired teen on the back, the impact causing him to skip a few steps forward and into Tomoko. "A-Ah, sorry!"

"Koga-kun, be carefuuuuul," the salmon eyed manager encircled her injured friend into a protective hug. "Go pick on Taiga-chan."

"Oi! I told you not to call me that!"

"Ehhh Okuma-chan, you're always so protective of Kuroko!"

Tomoko smiled brightly, causing the team to look at her with confusion and anticipation, "That's because I love Kuroko-kun!"

_Could it be that she really has feelings for Kuroko...?!_ they thought in unison, blushes on their faces.

"Of course, you guys are my basketball family. I love all of you!"

A long sigh could be heard across the street.

"Mah," Izuki piped instead as they started to make their way back home, "Are you guys hungry? We're out of Okuma's cookies."

"What, so quick?!" the guys peered at the now empty plastic container, a dejected sigh leaving their mouths.

"Why don't we get something to eat on the way home?"

"What do you want?"

"Something cheap. I'm broke!" Koganei chipped in, following behind Izuki and Hyuuga.

"Me too," Kagami grunted as a reply.

"So am I," Kuroko agreed.

"Pork buns~" Tomoko said idly, envisioning a steamy white bun in her mind. Her mouth watered as she skipped behind Kuroko.

"Hold on," Riko made the team pause their chatter as she took in their responses thoughtfully. "How much does everyone have after transportation costs?"

Realization hit them as they dug into their pockets to fish out any leftover change they may have left. They all stared at the combined coins they placed on their coach's hand; the total was shocking even to them.

"...eleven yen?"

"Let's go home," Hyuuga said in defeat.

As her team walked away with dejection and an empty stomach, Riko tried to think of some way to compensate for their lack of money. Suddenly, as if the gods were listening to her, a large truck passed by with a promising advertisement of free steak.

Of course, with something like that you must have to finish it in a certain amount of time, but her team was full of big, strong, and hungry teenagers that just returned from a taxing game. It'll be silly to pass up on that offer.

So with that in mind, Riko blew her whistle, catching the boys' and Tomoko's attention. She grinned. "It's okay. What do you say we go for steak?"

* * *

The sound of hot, sizzling steak filled the small restaurant as each plate was placed in front of the basketball players of Seirin. The aroma alone was able to seduce anyone passing by.

But the _size_ of the steak was unsettling.

As hungry as they were, this just wasn't human portion. The challenge was to finish the 4kg steak in thirty minutes or less and the meal would be free... Otherwise each person has to pay 10,000 yen.

A _far_ cry from the 11 yen they possessed.

Yet in the middle of it all, the Seirin coach seemed unperturbed about the very possible penalty and watched with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face.

"Why do you think I make you run everyday?" was her only response, as if she trained them half to death everyday for the purpose of eating monster-size steaks.

"No point in complaining," Tomoko was the first to dig in, her mouth full of the juicy steak as she chewed happily. "This is 'shooo good."

Following the girl's lead, the rest finally started to dig in and immediately was satisfied with the tenderness of the meat. It was, without a doubt, one of the best steaks they've ever had. Too bad they have to wolf it all down before time is up.

Izuki raised a piece to eye level, "This steak is fantasteak."

Koganei nearly choked, "Sorry, but that's really annoying right now considering the circumstance."

"Yeah, if we don't finish this..." the Seirin captain didn't even want to think about what would happen in the remaining time that had left. "How are we going to pay for it?!"

"You can say that these are some pretty high... _steaks._"

The whole table groaned at Tomoko's attempt to make another pun. Seriously, why weren't they worried?

"No worries! We'll be able to manage," Tomoko tried to cheer them on; but even so, she along with the others still had over half of the steak left to finish. It didn't help that they were slowing down considerably with how full they already were. "...Probably?"

Secretly though, she started to cut off big chunks of her food and putting it on Kagami's plate. The redhead either didn't notice or didn't seem to care, because he continued to eat at an inhuman pace.

"This is delicious," Kagami mumbled to himself, biting down on the last piece of his (Tomoko's) steak, "Maybe I should order more..." he looked around his teammates to see their disbelieving stares. "Mh? If you're not gunna eat that, can I have it?"

The team regarded him gratefully, although they were a little disturbed by how much he was able to take. After all, he looked like a squirrel stuffing his cheeks.

"Good thing Taiga-chan eats a lot of proteins huh?" the caramel haired girl turned to her left, only to find that Kuroko was not sitting next to her anymore. "Kuroko-kun?"

She looked around and then stood up, excusing herself to search for the blue haired teen in question. Her leave went unnoticed because her teammates were too busy feeding Kagami the rest of their steak.

Upon walking out of the restaurant, she caught the sight of sky blue locks and ran towards it. "There you are Kuroko-kun, you just left without—" she paused when she saw someone else with him. They both didn't seem to hear her as they walked down the street.

_Kise Ryouta?_

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_five_

**for those who like to meddle**

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The two former teammates walked leisurely under the setting sun, with Kise twirling a basketball expertly in his hands and Kuroko just slightly behind him.

Tomoko, on the other hand, was also not too far behind them, with her head poking out from behind a tree. She didn't plan on following the two boys, but her curiosity got the best of her, and plus _someone_ had to make sure of Kuroko's whereabouts, right?

However, it was a little hard to keep up with the two as for the evening crowd was still present on the streets, all dispersing different directions to head home. With her height only barely reaching Kuroko's, she could only see a peek of blond hair bobbing up and down through the crowd.

Then someone tugged on her shirt. "Excuse me miss, are you lost?"

Tomoko blinked, her eyes landing on a little boy probably around nine years old and wearing an elementary school uniform. He was regarding her with a quizzical look.

"Are you lost?" he asked again.

"I'm not lost," Tomoko replied with a tilt of her head. It must have looked like she was lost to the others, or something.

"Then are you a robber or something?" the little boy inquired, this time he frowned. "You don't look like a robber, but you look suspicious."

"I'm not a robber either," she reassured him, raising one hand up as the other crossed her heart, "I swear!"

"Okay. What_ are_ you doing then?"

"I'm following someone!" she grinned happily.

Any normal person would have regarded that comment with a strange look, because lurking around the corner and following people was not on the list of things teenagers did daily...

Unless, of course, you were really weird.

"You're weird, miss..." the elementary school boy voiced out. "Does everyone in high school stalk people like you do?"

"Stalk?" Tomoko blinked in confusion, as if it was the first time she's heard of the word. "I'm not stalking anyone."

The boy puffed up his cheeks, "But you _just_ said that you're following someone!"

"I am," she laughed, but then jolted up suddenly. She had forgotten something very, very important while she was talking to the child. "Shoot, I'm supposed to be following Kuroko-kun! Um, I'll see you little boy!" she called as she started to run.

_Older people are so weird,_ the little boy thought as he watched the caramel haired girl dash down the street. His mother had warned him about not talking to strange people on the street...

"Hey, little boy!"

He widened his eyes; the weird high school girl was running _back_ towards him. He was tempted to run away himself,_ away_ from this crazy teen.

"Hey...!" Tomoko stopped him front of him, bent at the hips as she panted, "I lost them... Where do you think two basketball players reminiscing about their middle school days would go?"

"...A b-basketball court...?"

She didn't notice the little boy trying to quietly scoot away from her. "Ah! You're right!" she pulled him into a hug, nearly crushing him in the process. When she let him go, the boy fell to the ground in a defeated crawl.

"Now, can you show me where the basketball court is?"

He stood up slowly and sighed, "Will you leave me alone if I do?"

Tomoko grinned and nodded furiously. "This way," the elementary school kid said exasperatedly as she followed him like an obedient little puppy; if she had a tail, it would be wagging right now.

After walking in relative silence for five minutes, wired fences came into view and Tomoko could finally see the basketball court. In fact, she could see Kise and Kuroko in the far left by a bench. She was on the other side of them.

"High school people really do like to stalk others, huh..." She heard the boy say. Looking down at him she wanted to object that she _doesn't_ stalk people, but he only pointed over in front of him where a familiar redhead stood, watching the two talking teens.

_He's here too? _Tomoko patted the little boy on his head, much to his chagrin, and thanked him for his help. "You were a great help, Chibi-chan!" she waved goodbye and made her way towards the tall basketball player.

"I'm never talking to strangers again," the boy muttered before turning to leave.

Tomoko tip-toed her way to Kagami, who was too engrossed with listening to the conversation going on between the two former teammates to notice that she was behind him. She tapped him on the shoulder, causing the tall male to jump and nearly screech out in surprise.

"What the hell!" he grunted lowly, his steely eyes landing on the caramel haired girl, "Okuma?! We've all been looking for you!"

"Why?" she titled her head to the side in question.

"Because you and Kuroko just disappeared!"

Tomoko flashed him a lopsided smile, "You guys didn't have to worry! I was just following Kuroko-kun because he left with Kise-kun and I wanted to know what they were doing but then I sort of got lost but then Chibi-chan came to the rescue and told me they would be at the basketball court and so here I am with you!"

"Oi..." Kagami watched the girl let out a long breath after saying all that without stopping. He slapped a hand on his face exasperatedly, "Never mind, I don't want to know."

"Anyway," she recovered from her long speech quite quickly as she peered across the court. "What are they talking about?"

"If you'd shut up then maybe you can hear them," Kagami rolled his eyes.

"Eavesdropping is bad, Taiga-chan."

"I don't want to hear it from you!"

"—I realized during today's game that he's still learning. Just like the Generation of Miracles, he has an unique ability. He may only be an immature challenger now, enjoying the thrill of recklessly playing strong opponents..."

That caught Tomoko's attention, as did Kagami's. She blinked. _Is he talking about Kagami? _

"However, someday he will achieve the level of the Generation of Miracles and grow apart from his team."

_No... Kagami won't do that._

"When he does, do you really believe Kagami won't be a different person?"

"He won't!" Tomoko defended out loud, making her way over to the duo. The expression on her face was serious. "He loves basketball from the bottom of his heart and I know he won't abandon something he takes so seriously!"

"Agh, just go recklessly barge into a conversation," Kagami followed behind her, grumbling sarcastically as he fruitlessly tried to hid the small blush on his face from her declaration. He turned to Kuroko and playfully shoved him. "And you! Don't disappear like that."

Kise was taken aback. "You guys were listening?"

"Kise-kun, don't doubt Kagami," Tomoko looked up at him with her pink orbs full of sincerity. "He may act like an idiot but he does value Seirin and basketball. Please don't ever say something so hurtful to Kuroko-kun again—ow ow ow!"

Kagami grinned angrily as he drilled his fist on Tomoko's head. "Who you callin' an idiot, huh?"

"I was just stating facts—"

"You're the idiot! When you saw that Kuroko was being kidnapped, you chose to follow him instead and got yourself lost!"

"Kidnapping? _What?_ Who cares if I talk with him a little bit?"

"We can't go home!"

Tomoko hobbled over to Kuroko, choosing to stay out of the boy's argument and away from the redhead's furious fist. "Are you okay, Kuroko-kun?"

"Yeah," he said softly, rubbing his back. His attention was then moved to the commotion happening in the court, where a group of guys were arguing over who gets to use the court. One group that was there first were being rudely pushed around by a few older, thuggish looking guys.

She watched them play a game to settle who gets the court, but she furrowed her brows when she saw that the older guys weren't playing fair.

"What was that? It's three-on-three!"

"Huh?" the leader smirked, "I said we'd play basketball, I didn't say anything about three-on-three!"

"That's not fair—!" The guy who tried to retort got a foot landing on his stomach.

"They're bullies!" Tomoko growled furiously, standing up. She was surprised to see that Kuroko was already over there, his hands in possession of their ball.

"There's nothing fair about it. That isn't basketball," he said, staring at the leader without a blink. "Besides, violence is bad."

Kise and Kagami looked over to the court and dropped their jaws, a look of disbelief stretched across their faces. "What the hell is he doing?"

"Kuroko-cchi?!"

"I guess there are still guys like this these days," the leader stood from his initial fall, chuckling. "Fine then. Let's settle this with basketball."

"Come on, Taiga-chan, Kise-kun, we have to teach them a lesson!" Tomoko tugged on Kagami's and Kise's sleeves, a determined glint shining in her eyes. "We can't let them sully basketball's good name!"

Kise smiled down on her in amazement, allowing himself to be tugged around by the eccentric Seirin manager. "I guess we can't, huh?"

"Honestly, you guys are a handful," the redhead grumbled but followed nonetheless. He couldn't just stand there and watch the blue haired teen get outnumbered by these burly guys.

They stopped behind Kuroko, their form towering the phantom as they introduced their presence to the thugs. Tomoko stood just besides them with a wide grin on her face as the thugs coward at Kise and Kagami's size.

"Mind if we play, too?"

Watching the three play together was _magical._ It was as if they've forgotten the inner feud they all had and only focused on playing the game. Although the game was already determined in the beginning in who would win, they still tried their best and executed perfect teamwork.

_That's how it always should be,_ Tomoko smiled. The looks on their faces were of pure joy and accomplishment; even Kise seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

By the end of the game, the thugs couldn't even stand.

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Kagami scolded Kuroko when they left the park. Winning was one thing, but what if he wasn't there to help out? The teen would have been pummeled to the ground by those rough guys! "Did you think you could win if it turned into a fight?"

"No, they would have beaten me up," Kuroko replied in monotone.

"Mah, mah, don't be so rough on him," Tomoko patted the redhead's back for reassurance, trying to calm him down. "Kuroko-kun is strong_-willed._"

The phantom flexed his arms. "Look at these guns."

"You don't have any!"

"Kuroko-cchi, you can be amazing sometimes," Kise laughed, referring to how he could be so blatantly blunt.

"Kuroko-kun's the best!" Tomoko corrected.

"Yeah, he is!"

"Right?!"

"This is not the time to praise him! You need to consider the consequences first!" Kagami growled in annoyance. He flashed a glare at Tomoko, "Since when did you become all buddy-buddy with _him_?"

"I'm friends with everybody!" the caramel haired girl replied nonchalantly. "And Taiga-chan, you sound like a mom."

"Why you—"

"I'm... A friend?" Kise interjected, widening his eyes when the girl nodded. Animated tears started to stream down his face; she was not prepared for the blonde to glump her, but he did and scooped her up into a bear hug as he rubbed his face against hers.

"Does this mean you're not declaring war against me anymore, Kuma-cchi?!"

_Kuma-cchi?_

"I don't think she can breathe, Kise-kun," Kuroko said, making the blonde let go of the girl. Tomoko staggered a few feet away from Kise as she let in some air into her lungs.

"My mission still stands, Kise-kun... But that doesn't mean we can't be friends in the process, right?" she smiled brightly.

A small smile of his own also surfaced on Kise's chiseled face. He still didn't know where'd she come from, or why she was so against his style, but it didn't matter that much anymore... They were friends now... He kind of liked her eccentric personality. "Yeah!" he picked up his bag; he was happy. "We're friends! And I'm happy I finally got to play with you, too, Kuroko-cchi."

Kuroko didn't say anything, but anyone could tell the feeling was reciprocated.

"Also, don't think I've forgotten about my revenge, Kagami-cchi!" he called from a distance.

"'Kagami-cchi'?!"

"Kise-kun adds '-cchi' to the names of those he acknowledges," Kuroko explained, "That's great for you."

"He called me 'Kuma-cchi' too... Taiga-chan, that means we're the same! That _is_ great!" Tomoko grinned, coming up to the redhead happily.

"I don't want that!" he pushed her face away from him in a huff.

"Don't lose in the preliminaries!" Kise waved.

"We'll see you there~!" Tomoko waved back. _Kise Ryouta... He's alright._ After seeing the blonde off, she turned back to her teammates and took their hands.

"Let's go home!"

* * *

Later on that night, Tomoko laid in bed and massaged her sore arms. Riko's Boston crab hold was no joke...

"Knock, knock."

She turned to the direction of her doorway. "If you're going to make the sound effects, might as well actually knock, Ichi-nii," she smiled nonetheless. "Welcome back!"

Okuma Ichirou grinned and walked in, taking a seat at the chair across from his little sister's bed. "Whatcha been up to? Missed me much?"

"It's not like we don't visit each other every other week," Tomoko giggled as she stood up to go hug the college student. It was a tradition they had going since they lived in different cities even before her dad got the promotion to Tokyo, but with the increased distance it was going to be harder. "But I did miss you! Since you're so busy with college, I guess I'll have to come to Akita more often, huh?"

"You don't have to do that," Ichirou patted her head, touched. "I mean, knowing you, you'll get lost."

"Hey! I'm grounding you from my pastries tomorrow!"

If there was one thing Tomoko had against her teasing brother, it was his love for her baking. She grinned when he immediately tensed up.

"My cute imouto-chan, I'm sorry~!"

"You have a weird case of sister complex, Ichi-nii," Tomoko concluded with a laugh.

"It's all love," Ichirou cooed, poking the salmon eyed girl on the cheek. Unlike his sister, his eyes were a deeper hue of maroon, to the point of almost black. He liked to think that it gave him a more focused look. "Anyway, how's your new school? Seirin, was it?"

The mention of Seirin made Tomoko grin and she immediately thought of the basketball team. "I've made some amazing friends there! There's Kuroko-kun, Taiga-chan, Riko-san, Izuki-senpai, and..." she listed on, counting her fingers.

Ichirou's eyes twitched slightly. "That sounds like a lot of guys, Tomoko... Don't tell me you're thinking about having boyfriends already—"

"Boy friends?" she tilted her head, not understanding what was so bad about them. "I have a whole team of them."

"A-A whole team!"

"Yeah. I'm the basketball team's manager," Tomoko nodded, "Ne, Ichi-nii, you should play basketball with them one day. They're really good!"

Ichirou nearly fainted from relief.

* * *

_"Just so we're clear, my cute imouto-chan is too young to date. Ever."_

_-Okuma Ichirou_

* * *

**Review?**


	6. BLT: Boys Like Tomoko

Someone asked me if Kuroko will be part of the little harem going on with our dear Tomoko-chan, and the answer is yes. Who will she _end up_ with though, you'll just have to wait and see ^^ And to the other guest who corrected my mistake on Takao's name, thanks! Regarding Midorima's first name, I believe "-ou" is another way to write "-ō."

A BIG thank you to the rest for the wonderful reviews!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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Tomoko fiddled in her seat unproductively, barely paying attention to the teacher writing down equations on the chalkboard. It was Friday, the day after the practice match with Kaijo and just a few periods away from the weekend._ I'm glad..._

The team was also pretty worn out from the match, she could just imagine them being just as unproductive as her in class today. At least it was almost lunch time.

However, she sighed; it wasn't fair that Kagami and Kuroko weren't in her class... Albeit their classes were next to each other, it wasn't like she could communicate through the wall._But Kuroko-kun and Taiga-chan also sits by the window, right? _she suddenly got an idea.

If she could just stick her head far out enough, maybe she will be able to see her two friends—

_"Ehem."_

Tomoko paused, her head was halfway out the window. She craned her neck back to see her Algebra teacher glaring down at her.

"What in the world do you think you're doing, Okuma-san?" he asked, voice taut.

"Heh heh... Um..." sitting back up straight, the caramel haired girl rubbed her neck nervously, "I was trying to measure the distance between this window and the one next door?"

"Okuma," the teacher shook his head and walked back to the board, "see me after class."

"Yes sir..."

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_six_

**blt: boys like tomoko**

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"Th-This is chaos," Fukuda, like the rest of his first-year teammates, stared at the crowded cafeteria with horrified awe. Their coach expected them to get the famed Iberian pork sandwiches _how?_

'Famed' was probably lightly putting it. The frenzy caused by this sandwich was more intense than anything they've seen before. They were like bees in a hive, practically impossible to get through without sustaining some kind of injury.

But, just the thought of having three times the training and footwork if they failed had them shuddering in their shoes. No matter what, they were going to get the sandwiches—

Kawahara stepped up and swung his arms, "Okay, I'll go first! I might not be as strong as Kagami, but I'm pretty confident in my power." However, it took less than three seconds for the first year to be thrown back by the crowd.

—even if it killed them...?

"This is going to take more than a little power..." Fukuda gulped after taking a good look. "The rugby team's forwards... The American football team's linemen... Sumo and weight lifting... We're suppose to get past _these_ guys?"

Compared to the Seirin basketball team first years, those guys looked like they could eat the basketball team for breakfast.

"Sounds interesting." The team was startled by Kagami's sudden comment, his hand balled up in a determined fist. He took off into the crowd, "Let's do this!"

...Only to be bumped back out. Kagami stared at the mass from the ground nervously, the sight reminded him of something he's seen at the subway station. _"This is Japanese lunch time rush!"_

"You're going American on us now?!"

"We've got to do this together," Kawahara was quick to come back to the group after his initial defeat, encouraging his teammates as they all shared a determined look. "Seirin, fight!"

Sadly, their efforts were in vain. All battered up and trambled upon, the three first years looked about to give up. However, Kagami wasn't ready to face the consequences of_not_getting the sandwiches. He threw Kawahara on top of the crowd and jumped on him, a trick he learned back in America when it came to concerts.

"He's crowd surfing!" Furihata exclaimed excitedly. That just might work!

"Yeah, ride those waves!"

Kagami smirked victoriously; _finally... Finally! _He was being pulled forward, the sandwich stand was just a mere couple of feet away... "Eh?!" he suddenly realized that he was going backwards again—

—_"This is Japanese lunch time rush!"_ he cried when he found himself on the ground once more.

"What'r yuh guys doin'?"

They all turned their heads to the familiar, muffled voice and gasped. Tomoko stood before them, in her hands was the wanted Iberian pork sandwich that she was chewing away with stuffed cheeks while sporting a few bread crumbs. Next to her was Kuroko, who also happened to be in possession of the sandwich.

"But—WHAT?" the guys stared with utter shock. "Kuroko? Okuma?! HOW?"

"The crowd pushed me to the counter and I left some money," Kuroko said blankly, handing the sandwich to the redhead.

Tomoko swallowed her food and blinked. "Well," she started, thinking back to when she was called to stay after class for a bit by her Algebra teacher. "After Goto-sensei lectured me about paying attention in class, he let me leave to get lunch. I was walking down the hall when this lineman from the football team ran past so I stopped him to ask why he was in such a hurry. Turns out this was the day of the month that the popular Iberian pork sandwich was sold! So..."

"So...?" Kagami and the rest chorused anxiously.

"So I got one!" she grinned.

"Th-That's it?!"

"Well, lineman-san told me I could walk with him to the stand. It was surprisingly easy to get through the crowd! Then I met Kuroko-kun up there paying for his sandwich," she nodded as her story came to an end. "Why haven't you guys gotten one yet? They're almost out you know."

Kagami and the rest only stood there, slack-jawed. If they were stone statues, Tomoko could have sworn she heard cracking.

* * *

After the lunch fiasco and making through the rest of the school day, the Seirin basketball team met up in the gym per usual.

Interhigh was quickly approaching, and the boys needed to be ready for it because even one mess up will cause the team to be out of the tournament. The winners of each block in Tokyo gets to play in the Championship League and only the top three out of 300 are allowed to compete and win the title.

_Three weeks until the preliminaries, and if we win, the Nationals and then Championship game... _Just the thought of going against the other Generation of Miracles got Kagami all fired up. They have to do their best if they want to make it.

But before he can face any of them, there were other schools they had to play against and he was not going to let his guard slip for even a second. Riko wouldn't let him, anyway.

"By the way, where is our coach? And our manager?" Tsuchida asked, looking around.

"Riko went to observe our first opponent's practice game," Hyuuga answered, "However, I don't know where Okuma is."

"Eh, she must be running late."

"Isn't she always late?"

A buzz went off in Kuroko's pocket and he reached in and opened his phone to see the text message that was sent to him. He stepped up to the circle, "Okuma-san said she's buying us drinks," he relayed the message.

"Woah, Kuroko!" half the team jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance, like they usually are. Koganei grinned, however, as his thoughts wandered.

"It's pretty nice to have Okuma-chan as our manager," he said, "she's always bringing us snacks!"

"Her baking is delicious," Hyuuga agreed. He didn't even want to _think_ about their coach's cooking ability, having been a victim of it for a year already.

"And it tastes even better because she's so cute," Kawahara admitted with a small blush. "I—I mean..."

"It's true..." the team murmured. They weren't exactly the guys who often gained special attention from the female population, so they accepted what they could get.

"It's whatever," Kagami grumbled, but even he couldn't deny that he also enjoyed the sweets.

"This reminds me... Kuroko," Koganei suddenly slithered towards the blue haired teen in question, his eyes furrowed, "How come you're the only one who has her number?" The girl always seemed to wander off and Kuroko would be the only one who knew where she was...

He wasn't Mitobe, but he worries too, especially after the disappearance of both the phantom and manager yesterday.

"We exchanged numbers on the first day of school," the phantom stated simply.

"Since we're all on the same team, we should all have her number just in case we need to reach each other," Koganei said candidly, "Say Kuroko, can you give it to us—"

"No."

"E-Eh?" the second year whined, "Why not?"

"It's impolite to give out other people's numbers without their knowledge."

Koganei pouted. "Ah, no fair~ Wait... Kagami! Do you have Okuma-chan's number?"

The redhead shot the second year a look, "Why the hell would I have it?"

The cat like teen wiggled his brows, "'Cause you guys are close too, aren't you?" Behind him, the others nodded.

"N-Not at all!" Kagami sputtered, taking a step back defensively.

Kuroko watched as the cat-like second year continued to pester and tease the redhead, even going as far as to chase him around the gym childishly—thankfully for the ace, he was saved by the appearance of Riko (she looked way too calm by their behavior, which could only mean that she _didn't_ approve).

After finally settling them down, she rounded the team up for an important announcement on the team they will be playing on the sixteenth of May. Kuroko was just relieved that the ruckus was over.

Because really, he just didn't want to give out Tomoko's number.

* * *

"Aren't you glad you get to spend this glorious Sunday with your one and only dearest brother~?"

Tomoko giggled as they walked into a well-air conditioned store. Her brother had to leave later on tonight, and since basketball training was done for the morning, she was spending the day shopping with him at Tokyo's large mall district. "Yeah, yeah. You're paying though because I'm broke~"

"Ack, what cruel words—" Ichirou pretended to be shot in the heart.

"I'll send you off with my special homemade cinnamon buns tonight."

"—Deal!" he smiled.

They roamed around the extensive store, which seemed to have everything and Tomoko was feeling her head spin from all of the colors. However, her eyes did catch a row of cute key chains hanging on a rack towards the wall.

_Ohhhh, these are so cute!_ Tomoko mused as she looked at each and every individual one with interest. There were tiny gold zodiac chains to plastic cartoon characters to collectible cute objects. Then her eyes landed on an odd looking orange cat. It was a lot bigger than the rest of the key chains, and the position the cat was molded into was funny—it was doing some kind of upside down acrobatics.

She reached over to grab the funny looking charm, but to her dismay another hand was aiming for the same one. Their hands touched and she looked at who was the other person.

"Oh! I know you!" Tomoko said happily in surprise. "What was your name... Minamoto Shintani?"

Midorima looked unimpressed at her memory; in fact, he was slightly perturbed by his luck that he had bumped into the Seirin manager. "Midorima Shintarou," he corrected swiftly before taking the feline key chain off the rack.

"Aw, but I wanted that..." the salmon eyed girl pouted, staring at the chain with saddened eyes. It was the last one and she wanted it because it was unique.

"Today's lucky item is an acrobatic cat charm," was Midorima's only explanation. As he sees it, that was the only explanation needed because his lucky items were of great importance.

"Are you talking about your Oha-Asa readings?" Tomoko asked with interest. She did remember his friend saying that the green haired male was pretty into that stuff. "It sure suggests some weird lucky items."

Again, the Shutoku shooting guard looked deeply offended by her comment.

"There you are Tomoko—" the twenty year old suddenly stopped when he came up behind his sister. He glared at the green haired male, who happened to be very attractive and therefore a threat to Tomoko's innocence and safety. "Who are you and what do you want with my imouto-chan?"

"Don't be stupid. I was merely getting an item off the rack."

Ichirou looked unconvinced as his eyes twitched in irritation. This kid was pissing him off. "Then why are you talking to her?"

Tomoko laughed and pulled her brother back to her side. "We happened to want the same key chain, Ichi-nii. This is Midorima Shintagou!"

"Shinta_rou_," Midorima corrected in annoyance.

"Oh, heh heh!" she laughed sheepishly before introducing her older sibling. "And my brother, Okuma Ichirou."

The college-bound male frowned. He sees what's happening here. His little sister was growing up to be a fine young woman, and suddenly all these nasty boys want to get closer to her. Well, that wasn't going to happen under his watch—the most they can do is join _The Club._

"So you're trying to buy it before she does so then you can lure her to your clutches later? You're despicable, young man—AH!" Ichirou cried out as his sister pulled on his ear. "But why~?"

"I'll just get another one!" she grinned somewhat apologetically at the bespectacled teen as she reached over to grab one of the gold zodiac chains she saw earlier. "Come on, we're leaving," she said as she pulled her still-glaring brother towards the check out.

"And I'm _charmed_ to see you again, Midorima-kun!"

Midorima barely flinched as the girl snickered at her own (unfunny) pun. His attention was instead drawn to the chain she took. _So she is a Libra..._ he frowned before leaving as well. "As expected. Our compatibility is low so we won't be getting along."

Outside, Ichirou followed his little sister like a protective body guard. He needed to be more careful this time. "That guy better watch it if he wants to join The Club."

"What are you talking about?" Tomoko mumbled as she peered through the display windows of other clothing shops. She wasn't much of a big spender on clothing, but she did like to window shop and look at cute outfits. Her hand touched the the key chain she got, which was safely tucked away in her shorts pockets. "Let's check this store out!"

She heard her brother say something ominously, but didn't quite catch on to what he said. He would always act weird around her male friends. _Oh well._

Tomoko let the feeling of cool air blast on her face and sighed contently. This store was darker on the inside, with only a few lights set up in the place to give off that cool, mysterious look. "How are people suppose to see what they're holding, though?" she wondered out loud and was of course given no answer. Shrugging, she went on about her business.

On the other side of the store, a blonde and his grumpy companion was also flipping through the clothing racks.

"...So why am I here?" Kasamatsu grumbled. The Kaijo captain could think of a million and one ways to spend his day after basketball practice, and none of them would involve being dragged around by the annoying blonde model to shop.

Even though the train ride wasn't long from Kanagawa to Tokyo, was it really neccessary for him to come all the way here?

"Aw, you said if I showed up on time and tried my hardest during practice today, you'll let me do whatever!" Kise said with hopeful eyes—or voice, since he was wearing sunglasses to 'conceal his identity,' or so he says. "And I wanted to go shopping!"

"That doesn't include _me,_ stupid!"

"But senpai, it's more fun with you!" the blonde said, and then quietly, "Plus you can scare away my fangirls."

A vein nearly popped on Kasamatsu's forehead as he caught on to the last comment. "What did you say?!"

"N-Nothing—" But it was too late; Kise was kicked to the other side of the store with his captain's powerful legwork. It would be considered a pretty impressive feat to watch if it wasn't for the situation at hand.

"What was that?" a new, more feminine voice asked as it drew closer. Kise's shades was sliding down his nose as he and the brooding captain looked up to see Tomoko poking her head out from behind a rack of clothes. "Hi Kise-kun, Kasa-kun!"

"Kuma-cchi?"

"O-Okuma-san."

"What are you doing on the floor?" Tomoko asked Kise as she made her way towards him, but because the store wasn't brightly lit she didn't see that her foot got caught on something and soon found herself falling. "Woah!" It was Kasamatsu who quickly reacted and prevented the caramel haired girl from face-planting on the hard marble floor.

"Oh! Thank you," she grinned sheepishly at the male. That got the Kaijo captain to immediately let go as a blush crept on to his face.

"Y-Yeah. Whatever."

"Kuma-cchi!" Kise cried again, this time off the ground and quickly pulled Tomoko into a tight, friendly hug. She gasped in surprise but allowed him to hold on. The model's action might seem too forward to most, but he was just an affectionate person. "What a coincidence to see you here~!" he said happily.

"I guess we got to see each other before Interhigh, huh?" Tomoko replied with a smile. "Do you and Kasa-kun shop often in Tokyo?"

"Senpai—" Kise started, but was cut off by the teen in question.

"The dumbass dragged me here against my will!"

"—doesn't like shopping that much," he sighed sadly.

He looked so let down that Tomoko felt bad for the usually happy-go-lucky basketball player. Her resolve, of course, was to cheer him up. "You can always go shopping with me!" she flashed him a warm smile.

"R-Really?!" he blinked animated tears from his eyes. He looked like a kid who just gotten some ice cream, "Kuma-cchi, I love you~!"

"You're smothering her, idiot!" Kasamatsu yanked the hyper teen by the collar and made him release his crushing hold on Tomoko.

"Senpai, you're mean! Don't tell me you want to hug Kuma-cchi too!"

"Ha?! I-I d-don't!"

The blonde and his captain continued to argue (or more like Kasamatsu was arguing while Kise made weird, perverse assumptions while getting hit). Their loud shouts and cries didn't go unnoticed by the store owner; it was a hard thing to do after all, since everyone's attention was now on the two high school students as they tried to make out just what was happening.

(It also garnered the attention of Okuma Ichirou, who has been looking for his sister in this blasted dark store since she slipped away from his field of vision. _Again)._

"OUT! All three of you!" the manager-slash-furious-middle-aged-man ran up to them with a clothes hanger, shooing them out the door. Alarmed, they took off.

"And stay out!"

Once outside and a _respectable_ 30 feet away, Kasamatsu slapped Kise upside the head. "You got us kick out!"

"You're the one who keeps yelling at me, senpai!" the younger Kaijo player cried. He was sure that if he revealed who he was to the manager, they would be allowed back in anyway—and they wouldn't be kicked out in the first place.

Tomoko's laughter broke the comical scene before her; she clutched her stomach with tears in her eyes.

"Eh? Kuma-cchi?"

"You guys are funny!" she replied with mirth. Patting Kise on the back, she nodded in approval, "You and Kasa-kun get along so well. I can see he cares about you a lot!"

"...You really think so?" This obviously wasn't the case of 'getting along well' here, but Kise had stars in his eyes. He really liked to imagine that his senpai liked him and desired to get along with him. And he could _really_ do without the black haired male's beatings. "Senpai, did you hear that—"

"You're delusional!" Kasamatsu bit out. Even if it was true (it was), he would never admit it. "I'm leaving!"

"W-Wait!" the blonde didn't want to leave Tomoko, but he did come with Kasamatsu and it wouldn't be polite to leave him, right? He pouted cutely and apologetically, "Kuma-cchi..."

Tomoko gave him a thumbs' up. "We can hang out next time!" she told him and then stretched out her hand expectantly. Kise regarded it with a confused look.

"I'll give you my number. You can text me the next time you want to go shopping and Kasa-kun won't come with you," she explained simply and with a positive smile.

Kise found himself blushing slightly as he handed over his silver phone—something he didn't do too often around girls because his charm and popularity would render _them_ a blushing mess. But he liked that she offered to give him her number and not the other way around... Because of his status, girls would always try to get his number and it would be bothersome he got hundreds of calls and texts everyday, even if he liked the attention.

(Though, he thought, he really wouldn't mind giving it to her; but with possession of her number he could text and/or call Tomoko freely himself. Not that he was going to excessively... Probably).

"Osh! Here you go," Tomoko snapped him out of his trance. She handed the phone back to him and waved, "I should go back to my brother before he gets too worried," she laughed, "see ya!"

_Kuma-cchi is so amazing,_ Kise thought happily as he watched her caramel locks disappear within the crowd.

He then turned around. "Kasamatsu-senpai, wait for me!"

Anyway...

When Tomoko spotted her brother, she could tell he didn't look too happy. "Tomoko!" he flicked her on the forehead, "I can't believe you just ran off like that! And with two suspicious males at that!"

"Suspicious?" she wondered as she rubbed the red spot on her forehead, "We ran because we got kicked out of the store."

Ichirou shook fearfully with worry. "Tomoko, I can't allow you to hang out with troublemakers! Even if they're handsome!"

"Hm. You're weird, Ichi-nii," Tomoko said idly.

"I'm just protecting my cute imouto-chan from harm," he proclaimed proudly and childishly. It was hard to imagine that he was usually composed and completely _normal_. When it came to Tomoko potentially attracting the male population, his mindset becomes that of an overprotective father—probably because the Okuma head himself lacked that trait. "They have to first be approved into the BLT club."

"Oh, a sandwich?" Tomoko asked excitedly, "We should go to Maji Burger!"

"Maji Burger? No, no, the BLT club is not a sandwich or a burger."

"Ha?" the salmon eyed girl blinked.

"It stands for 'Boys Like Tomoko'," Ichirou explained with a sparkle in his eye, "it's a club I set up when you were in junior high for boys who wanted to get close to you." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and mumbled to himself, "Although, these guys in Tokyo are going to be harder to manage... They're all _unnaturally_ attractive..."

"Ichi-nii... You're _really_ weird."

* * *

...

From: Kise Ryouta

To: Okuma Tomoko

_Kuma-cchi~! You guys are playing Shinkyo today right? Good luck! (◠◡◠)✌_

(16:34)

...

From: Kise Ryouta

To: Kuroko Tetsuya

_Don't lose Kuroko-cchi! (≧◡≦) I'm rooting for you!_

(16:34)

...

The Seirin basketball team filed into the Interhigh basketball arena where their game with Shinkyo was taking place. Once again Kagami was too excited to get any shut-eye the night before and his expression was scary as ever.

The guys on the other team were doing warm-ups, but one player was missing. "I don't see Otou-san anywhere," Tomoko formed mini binoculars with her hands as she searched around. Isn't he suppose to be like two meters tall?

"Ouch."

The loud bang from the other side of the gym received the team's attention and they saw the tall man in question at the entrance. He was so tall the frame covered half of his face.

"Geez, everything is so short in Japan," the dark skinned male complained.

Tomoko ran up to him, impressed. She has never seen someone like him before! "Woah, you're even bigger in person, Otou-san!"

Riko slapped a hand across her forehead, "Kuroko-kun, get her back here before Otou—I mean Papa—ugh, you know what to do." Sapphire orbs flashed.

"What?" the two meter tall Shinkyo player peered down at her, a small confused scowl on his face. "A kid?"

"Okuma-san," Kuroko came quickly to her side, his expression blank. "I think Riko-san doesn't want you to offend Otou-san."

Papa Mbaye frowned; why are there so many little kids hanging around the court? He picked up Kuroko so the teen was at eye level with him. "Children shouldn't be on the court, little boy," he explained slowly, but then he caught a glimpse of Kuroko's jersey. "You're a player?" he said disbelievingly.

Shinkyo's team captain watched with amusement. "Say, you guys really beat Kaijo?" he asked Hyuuga with a mocking smile. "I guess the Generation of Miracles aren't as strong as we thought."

"Actually, you don't know what Kaijo is capable of 'cause they're really good," Tomoko told him matter-of-factly.

"Yet they lost to you guys," he said with a chuckle.

Tomoko frowned; there was mock in his tone and she didn't like it one bit.

_He's kind of making me mad..._

The dark skinned male set Kuroko back down and sighed, glancing at the team with a bored look. "The Generation of Miracles lost to a child like him? How disappointing... They brought me here to beat them, yet they're so weak. Are all the Generation of Miracles children?"

That seemed to trigger a wave of hushed laughter from Seirin; since he was dubbed 'otou-san,' it only seemed ironic that the dark skinned player would call the rest children—and the fact that he thought beating the Generation of Miracles was any type of easy.

"I don't think you're a child, Kuroko-kun," Tomoko encouraged the blue haired teen with a straight face, thinking that his silence was because he was greatly offended. "I think you're a manly man."

Somehow, that made Kagami laugh even harder.

"Honestly, I'm starting to get annoyed," Kuroko said in monotone. He didn't like that Shinkyo was talking down on his team as well as the Generation of Miracles. No one should say anything negative about his old teammates until they actually faced them, because they were not to be taken lightly.

The team quieted down with the phantom's expression of irritation and Kagami smirked. "Ah, you don't like to lose, do you?" he shrugged off his white jacket and threw it aside, charged up with renewed energy. "I guess we should show Otou-san why he shouldn't piss off kids!"

"Yeah!" Tomoko fist bumped the air excitedly. _We can't let them beat us, not after being belittled!_

"If we win, you'll have to apologize for calling Kuroko-kun and the Generation of Miracles children," she told Papa Mbaye and his captain. Her eyes lit up, "_Especially_ Kuroko-kun because he can be as man as anyone here!"

They stared at her before laughing. "Ha? You think we'll lose?"

"You'll see," she grinned.

Kagami set his big hand on top of Tomoko's head and pulled her back. "Yeah yeah. Go sit down so we can start, brat."

Once everyone was settled and the caramel haired manager was sentenced to the bench to prevent further interruptions, the teams lined up across from each other. The referee came up between them.

"Let the game between Seirin High School and Shinkyo Academy begin."

_Seirin, fight!_

* * *

Around seven o'clock in the evening, when the handsome model got back from his photoshoot and was finally able to check his phone, he happily opened an incoming message from Tomoko and then promptly spent the next five minutes staring blankly at the screen.

...

From: Okuma Tomoko

To: Kise Ryouta

_We made Otou-san regret calling you and Kuroko-kun children!_

(18:02)

...

"What... Does that even mean?" Kise cried in confusion.

* * *

_"I don't understand how she can tolerate your dumbass..."_

_"You're so mean, Kasamatsu-senpai!"_

* * *

**Review? I'll send you Tomoko's cookies.**


	7. Out With the Old

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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Things went exceptionally well all the way towards Seirin's fourth game, where they beat Meijo High 108 to 41. While their seniors wondered why Meijo seemed to be terrified of them on the court, the three who knew what happened a few weeks ago could only hold their tongues with mirth.

Today they were scheduled to play two games, and Riko also wanted them to observe Shutoku High, since they would be playing before them.

From Hyuuga's explanation, Shutoku, along with Seiho and Senshinkan, were the three immobile kings of Tokyo, making it nearly impossible for other teams in the last ten years to beat one of them and get anything higher than 4th place in the tournament.

_However, every year is different. Anyone has a chance to beat them,_ Tomoko thought.

"If all goes well, in the finals we'll most likely come up against... The King of the East, Shutoku, that acquired Midorima Shintarou of the Generation of Miracles," Hyuuga said.

Kagami's attention perked at the mention of the second Miracle they will face and his eyes narrowed in thought. Next to him, Tomoko went over the name mentally as she tried to remember something.

_Midorima... Shintarou? _

"But you guys made it to the championship league, didn't you?" Kawahara asked. Seirin had a good chance then, won't they?

The second years all sported a serious look as they thought about Interhigh last year. "Yeah," their captain replied, "but we didn't stand a chance."

"Our seniors definitely aren't weak, but... The Three Kings, huh?" Kagami glowered.

"Hey, Kuroko-kun," Tomoko nudged the blue haired teen next to her, "This Midorima guy... Does he wear glasses, about this tall," she motioned what looked to be a foot or so higher than herself, "and talks about horoscopes? Like a lot?"

Kuroko blinked at her sudden interest in his green haired Teiko teammate. "Yes. How did you know?"

"Ah-ha! I knew it!"

The team gave their manager a questionable look regarding her loud outburst, wondering if she was going to declare something to someone again. Simultaneously, the Interhigh arena rumbled with murmurs and gasps as a team of guys wearing orange jackets filed into the court.

It was Shutoku High.

"Look at them!"

"They're here!"

_Their entrance alone had people turning heads, _Riko thought in amazement. "It's better to see something for yourself than hear about it," she told her team. This was going to be good. "First years, prepare yourselves. You're going to see something amazing today!"

Shutoku had the entire left side of the bleachers filled with fans and supporters. Their chant for the team was loud, impressive, and just a little bit intimidating. Awestruck, team Seirin could only stare.

Then Kagami stood, "I'm gonna go say hi."

"Sure," Hyuuga said absentmindedly before snapping out of it. "W-Wait!"

"I should too!" Tomoko suddenly said, standing up to follow the redhead. She was stopped by Kuroko. "Hm?"

He griped her hand firmly but gently and he motioned for her to stay put. Hyuuga also wanted her to stay—who knows what Kagami was already up to! He didn't want her to fuel the fire. "We don't need _two_ people running around declaring war on others."

"B-But that's my job," Tomoko pouted, plopping herself back down on the bench. "Besides, I actually know Midorima Shintarou."

Her team stared at her.

"I don't understand," Kuroko said finally.

"Well, I didn't know he was from Shutoku or one of the Generation of Miracle," she admitted, "but he came to our first practice game against Kaijo. And I also met him at a trinket store before with my brother."

"I was not aware of that," the blue haired phantom said quietly. The team drew their attention back to the Shutoku player, surprised as well to know that he was there to see their game against Kaijo, even if it wasn't official. The miracles seemed to be really interested in Kuroko's choice of school...

Were they really that bad in their eyes?

"Last year, the three kings destroyed Seirin when they tripled their score," Takao said on cue, loud enough for the rest of Seirin to hear and making said team wallow in their defeat from last year once again.

"But we won't let that happen this year," Tomoko said loudly with confidence, flashing a grin when Takao and them turned to her direction. "Hi guys! We meet again!"

"Yo, Tomo-chan!" Takao waved happily at the sight of the Seirin manager. "Remember me? I'm Takao Kazunari!"

The girl waved back, "Of course!"

Midorima furrowed his brows when he noticed the caramel haired girl. _Of course she would be here,_ he thought, clutching his lucky item of the day harder in his hand (that was rudely written on by the redhead). _Oha-Asa is never wrong._

"Say what you want, but the difference in strength is absolute," he adjusted his glasses as he got back on topic, annoyed that the black haired teen was acting so familiar to an enemy team, "even if we meet up at the Championship, history will only only repeat itself."

"No. Your speculation is only based on the past. You won't know what will really happen until you play, Midorima-kun," it was Kuroko who responded.

"And as long as we try our best, this so-called fate can be changed," Tomoko added right after him. "We're gonna change your world!" she declared.

_Ah... there it is,_ team Seirin chorused as her declaration finally came out.

Midorima frowned. These two seemed to have the same flawed thinking, like two peas in a pod. He always hated how Kuroko would always sport a blank expression and render him unable to read what he was thinking, and while the girl was transparent, she made it equally bothersome for him to understand. Whatever the case though, he wasn't going to let them win.

"There is plenty I would like to say to you two, but telling you now would be meaningless," he turned away from them. "Join us in the finals first."

Tomoko couldn't contain her fueled exhilaration. "That's a promise!"

* * *

It was lunch time, much to Kagami's relief as he chowed down on the mountain of sandwiches and buns on his desk. Training so hard and playing two games in a row had taken a toll even on his strong body.

His could imagine the rest of the team being equally as sore as him, but right now he was just happy that he could eat.

Kuroko and Tomoko (who had migrated to the boys' classroom for lunch) watched with a mix of amazement and amusement. "You're eating more than usual," the blue haired phantom commented, his hand holding a small triangle sandwich of his own.

"His stomach is like a bottomless pit," Tomoko said after swallowing her food. She had brought some of her mom's seasoned rice balls to lunch today.

The redhead sipped on his milk before turning his head slightly to meet the two's gaze. He looked down at what Kuroko was eating. "I'm surprised that's enough food for you. We played two games yesterday and I'm starving."

"Me too," Tomoko agreed, stuffing the rest of her salmon and sesame rice ball into her awaiting mouth.

"_You_ didn't play any games!"

"Cheerleading is a sport," she smiled, a few grains of rice was stuck on the side of her mouth.

"Okuma-san," Kuroko said as he reached over with a napkin, "you have food on your face." The few grains were wiped off thanks to the quiet phantom and Tomoko beamed at him gratefully.

"You _are_ like a kid," Kagami rolled his eyes in thought of the giant Shinkyo player's 'insult' and turned to stretch out his back, but winced. "Agh, I'm so sore."

"Kagami-kun, Kuroko-kun!" the familiar voice of their coach called from outside the classroom. The short haired brunette was holding two large boxes, "Ah, Okuma-chan you're here too? I need to borrow the guys for a second, want to come along?"

Thus, the three found themselves following Riko, with Kagami and Kuroko holding the boxes in her stead.

The redhead glowered at the box in his arms, wondering just what the coach wanted them to do with it. It wouldn't be as heavy if it weren't for how tired and sore the double game left him... "We're sore... What are you, an ogre?" he grumbled out, glaring at Riko from the corner of his eye.

"I can help you carry it, Taiga-chan!" Tomoko offered good-naturedly from Kuroko's side.

"Ha! You'll just drop it," he huffed. He will never like her insistent nicknames and '-chan' suffix, but he really was too tired and too used to it to care anymore.

"I won't," the Seirin manager replied with a twinkle in her eyes as she lifted up her arm. "Just look at these guns!"

"Don't copy Kuroko's phrase!"

"See Kuroko-kun, it's impressive right?"

"Ah."

"There's _nothing_ there!"

"Stop complaining Bakagami," Riko smiled brightly at the liveliness of their friendship. "A man can't let a maiden carry these heavy boxes."

"I don't see a maiden anywhere," Kagami couldn't help but deadpan, earning a sucker punch to his sore back from the coach. He knew he should have kept his mouth shut... "...What is this, anyway?"

Riko was back to her cheery self. "They're DVDs of this year's and last year's games from the club room. They're for scouting, and the club room is so small," she replied. "We're going to be playing two games in a row against the kings in the semi-finals, so there's no such thing as over analyzing."

.

_seven_

**out with the old**

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After watching the recorded videos of Seiho at play, Riko called it a day and allowed the team to go home. Kuroko, Kagami, and Tomoko walked home together since their houses were in the same general direction.

"Seiho huh... They're good," Tomoko finally said once they stopped at a cross road to wait for the 'go' signal.

"Yeah. Their defense is something to look after, especially the bald guy's," Kagami replied, his mind flashing back to Seiho's weird-yet-effective defensive play. And as for the bald player, he didn't think he saw anyone able to get past him before repeated tries.

"But I think you'll be able to plow through him," the small manager piped in encouragement. She grinned, "I mean, you're Kagami Taiga!"

"Is that s'pose to mean something?"

Kuroko was silent for a while before speaking. "It won't be that easy," he said. "Like I told you, he was the player who stopped Kise-kun at the start of the game."

"Ah," the redhead voiced in acknowledgment. He didn't look too troubled anymore, instead he smirked. "I'm excited, though. The sooner we beat them the sooner we can play Shutoku."

"I agree," the phantom said as they passed by Maji Burger. He stopped.

"By the end of this, that Midorima _definitely_ won't be able to say he doesn't know my name."

Tomoko laughed, remembering what the redhead did to the Shutoku player. "His shots are amazing though, it goes so high and he never misses! And he has such pretty eyelashes."

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?" Kagami asked incredulously. Honest to god, this girl was just something else.

"It's true, Taiga-chan! Have you _seen_ it?" she asked seriously. The green haired horoscope believer did have long lashes that framed his eyes, making it look unbelievably nice and sharp. Now that she thought about it, though, Kise Ryouta's eyes were very pretty as well... "Kuroko-kun, you have such pretty friends," she said, but to her confusion the boy wasn't behind them. "Eh?"

"Damn, where did he go?" Kagami turned around, looking high and low for the phantom player. "He just disappeared!"

"I'm right here, Kagami-kun."

The redhead blinked down and suddenly shouted in surprise at Kuroko's mysterious appearance. He hadn't experienced that in a while since he got used to him, but it was still heart attack-inducing as usual. "Wh—Don't scare me like that! You bastard, where did you go?!"

Kuroko remained impassive. "I stopped to get a milkshake," the boy explained evenly, much to the redhead's irritation.

"Oooh, I want one too!" Tomoko perked up before he could say anything, running back to the fast food joint to get said milkshake.

"I'll get one with you, Okuma-san," the blue haired teen followed.

A brow flew up with incredulity. "Oi, you just got one!" Kagami shouted, himself also following behind the two. What was with their tendency to just run off, anyway? _And his milkshake obsession._

"I'll save that one for later."

"You're just gonna drink both of them, aren't you?!" Kagami accused.

The shorter boy paused before he gazed at his friend with a straight face. "...Yes."

* * *

Finally, the day of Seiho and Seirin's match came.

The arena was packed full of people, no doubt all anticipating the games between the three kings and Seirin, a relatively unknown school for basketball and had wanted to see how the teams held up.

"Mou, she's not here yet?" Riko said, a faint look of irritation crossed her features. Per usual, Tomoko was late. She had tried to call the girl this morning and received a call back from her mother to be rest assured that the manager will make it in time—'perhaps.'

Maybe it would have been a smart idea to pick up the girl from her house after all... But she didn't want to risk the rest of the team being late on this crucial day.

"I'm here! Sorry, I was so excited that I overslept! But I brought some treats for the game!" said manager called sheepishly as she ran over to the team, holding a bag. Riko sighed in relief as she lightly scolded the girl for worrying her and Tomoko pouted out a cute apology.

Needless to say, the cute-loving coach forgave her right away.

"They're all warming up right now, so just go and see what they need," the older girl ordered. Tomoko nodded.

The team was scattered around the court, practicing their shots and defense. The salmon eyed manager located Kagami and Kuroko by the baskets and bounded over to them. "Kuroko-kun, Taiga-chan~!"

"Good morning Okuma-san," the quiet boy greeted, his eyes traveling to the girl's disheveled hair. "Your hair is sticking out in different directions."

Tomoko touched her hair. It was. "Oh, I overslept so I didn't have time to brush it," she chuckled with a lopsided smile. Swiftly, she tied the messy caramel locks into an equally messy bun she usually styled when baking and flashed the two teens a thumbs' up. "Better?"

Kuroko nodded. Kagami didn't really care.

"Late as usual Okuma. The game was 'bout to start without you," the redhead told her with a small smirk.

"Looks like I made it just in time~" she grinned.

"You're Kagami-kun, aren't you?" Kagami paused and turned to the person who addressed him. The bald headed teen from Seiho was grinning up at him. "You're hair's so red! Scary!"

"Isn't he?" Tomoko heartily agreed from the side, having thought the same thing when she just met him. "But on the inside he's actually a total—" A large hand covered her mouth before she could say anymore and she blinked at the redhead, who looked irritated with the bald Seiho player.

"What's it to you?" he asked.

The bald teen, otherwise known as Tsugawa Tomoki, continued to grin as he called over to his captain. "Captain, this is the guy right? Seirin's really weak, but they have one strong guy!"

With that comment Riko seemed to want to dismember the boy. _How rude is this guy?!_ She was quickly saved the trouble to march over there and give him a few words of her own when the Seiho captain knocked Tsugawa upside the head.

"Quit messing around!" he gripped the boy's head and made him bow slightly. He looked at them apologetically. "Sorry about that, this guy can't read situations so he just says what he's thinking."

"Heh, is this what they say about 'talk crap get smacked'?" Tomoko grinned in wonder.

Hyuuga pulled the girl back in exasperation. Tsugawa's bluntness reminded him of the equally blunt caramel haired manager. He faced the captain of Seiho and regarded him coolly, "You don't need to apologize. We're going to win. If you look down on us like you did last year, you'll end up in tears."

Iwamura also shot a cool look back. "That won't happen. Besides, we weren't looking down on you guys. You were just weak, that's all."

"Seirin is_ not_ weak," salmon eyes flashed as Tomoko stood in front of the big captain, a serious look overtaking her soft features. She was tiny compared to him but she didn't back down. "Just because they didn't win last year doesn't mean our seniors are weak. Let me tell you, they—"

"Hey," the bald shooting guard suddenly cut her off and regarded her with something akin to bewilderment; it was as if he just noticed her. "You came with Seirin? Are you cheering for them? You're kind of cute, so you should totally cheer for us instead—ACK!"

"You idiot," Iwamura grabbed him by the neck of his black shirt and dragged the whining boy away before he could spew more nonsense. Craning his head back slightly so team Seirin can see half of his face, he nodded in acknowledgement. "We'll see you on the court."

_He's unexpectedly kind and respectful,_ Tomoko blinked before going back to her original thought and called after the two Seiho players with determination. "We won't be backing down!"

Riko smiled. _That's right. We won't. _

* * *

"Come on, look alive! You guys are too uptight," the coach said when the team was in the locker rooms for a short waiting period as the workers cleaned up the court before the big game.

Expectantly, the team was still a bit tense after the short meet-up with Seiho. They did lose to them last year at Interhigh after all.

"You all look so gloomy," Tomoko added as she came up to each of her seniors and poked their cheeks. _So stiff!_

Riko frowned slightly before clapping her hands together. "Ah, I thought of a reward to cheer you guys up!" The caramel haired manager brightened up on the team's behalf.

"Good idea, Riko-san!"

The older girl gave the guys a shy smile as she batted her eyelashes. If it weren't for them knowing how she really was, the sight would have been somewhat blush-inducing... _Somewhat._ "If you win the next game, I'll give each of you a kiss on the cheek," she said softly, blowing them an air-kiss.

The team, however, didn't look impressed.

"Why did she laugh?" Izuki deadpanned.

"She can't be serious," the cat-like small forward added, his eyes void of everything saved for skepticism. That suggestion was too weird to even be comprehended properly.

Sensing their obvious discomfort, Tomoko cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Riko-san, they look even worse than before! Maybe you should offer two kisses? Would that help?" she prodded the suddenly lifeless coach.

Koganei's hand touched her shoulder with beg. "Th-That will be unnecessary," he said.

"You idiots, pretend to be happy if you have to!" Hyuuga scolded the team, despite feeling on the same page as them. He pointed to the coach, who was laying dejectedly on the floor. Then, he heard her low chuckle. _Crap..._

"Shut up and get it together, you idiots!" Riko yelled as she stood back up. The team looked surprised; there was droplets of tears in her eyes. Her team was acting pathetic right now, and she knew they were better than that! "Don't you want to pay them back for last year? It's got to be quite a lot with a year's worth of interest!"

With her encouraging words, everyone seemed to soften up. Hyuuga nodded, "She's right. This game is important to us. You'll feel it as soon as the game starts, but first years, prepare yourselves. Seiho is strong—after last year's massive defeat, we hated basketball so much we nearly quit..."

_"When you come to hate something you liked, it's incredibly painful."_

Tomoko's eyes widened, her heart pumped faster as she remembered what Kuroko once told her. _I-It is painful... __I don't want everyone to hate what they love... I want them all to be happy and enjoy what they love! And I definitely don't want Kuroko-kun to feel something like this again!_

"I-I believe in you guys!" Tomoko shouted, her face red as she sniffled, "So p-please don't give up! I know this year will be different—just look at you guys, we've come so far... You're all so amazing!"

Taken aback, the tenseness that had surrounded the team seemed to dissipate.

"We..."

"Okuma-chan..."

Mitobe ruffled her hair gently in comfort; he was thankful, as was the rest of the team. Hyuuga sighed and smiled, "But this won't be the same as last year. I'm confident we've become strong enough to be sure of that! Now we just have to win. Let's go!"

"Osh!" The team all stood, a determined fire lighting up their faces as they filed out of the locker room. There was no room for any let-downs. Tomoko rubbed her eyes quickly and shot their moving backs an appreciative smile.

_That's the spirit. _

Only Kuroko stood behind them all, his face still blank and void of emotion. However, Tomoko was certain she saw an understanding look of pain dancing in his eyes. She pulled on his sleeve to grab his attention.

_The Generation of Miracles really have hurt him, no matter how unintentionally it was. _"Don't worry, they haven't given up yet," she grinned, the lopsided smile was charming. "We'll bring your friends back... With Seirin's basketball!"

It was a rare sight, but Kuroko smiled brightly back at her.

* * *

_Old martial arts technique... _Tomoko echoed in the back of her mind as Riko explained to the team during the short time-out about Seiho's strategy. Seiho's man-on-man defense didn't allow anyone from Seirin to get a hold of the ball, and the score was still 0-12 in Seiho's favor. _Kuroko-kun is unable to pass the ball because of their technique, and worse, Kagami already have two fouls._

"In addition to namba running, they use all sorts of martial arts technique for effortless strength, moving quickly without missing a beat. That's how Seiho moves," the coach explained. Her eyes hardened, "But it's not like they can fly or disappear. They're high schoolers like you, and will fall for fakes and be caught off guard. They're playing the same basketball you are. If you play like you always do, it'll work. This isn't over yet!"

"We're Seirin High, and we always _rebound_ back!" Tomoko cheered in agreement, revealing her latest pun to the team. Despite the blank stares, the team's original pun maker looked highly amused as he muttered to write that down for future reference.

"She scored a good point with that one."

"I don't know if that was clever or..." Koganei scratched his chin before he shook his head. "Never mind that... Thank you, Okuma-chan. You're always so encouraging."

"She's like Izuki's little apprentice," Hyuuga whispered to Riko disbelievingly. The brunette waved him away right before the whistle blew to indicate that their time-out was up.

"That's not the important part right now. Okuma-chan is right, we have to bounce back and fight. Now go!"

"You're pretty troublesome Okuma," Kagami said when he followed behind his captain. He flashed back a grin at the salmon eyed girl, "Guess I'll just have to deal with it if I want that bag of food over there, huh?"

Tomoko smiled proudly, not at all bothered by his words.

"You're a tiger, Taiga-chan! You're fast and I know you can break Seiho's wall."

The redhead rolled his eyes; however, she did make a good point. "Izuki-senpai," he called, "could you pass me the ball? I want to go against Tsugawa again."

The point guard looked surprised as he gave him a confused stare, but immediately let his bewildered look fall. "Do you have a plan?"

"No, but he's only human, too, right? Like Okuma said, I just have to be faster than him," Kagami said before walking down the court.

"Will that be okay?" the older player questioned momentarily. Kuroko nodded.

"Probably. He does what he has to do."

_Kagami..._ Tomoko thought.

The game resumed, and Izuki successfully passed the ball to Kagami and he positioned himself in front of the bald Seiho player. Tomoko was nearly standing on her tip-toes as her pale pink eyes darted across the court, seeing that Kagami briefly said something to Tsugawa before quickly slipping past the male.

_He definitely..._

The last thing she heard before the gym roared with such volume that it made the whole arena shook was the sound of the ball slamming down into the basket. She jumped up and cheered.

_He definitely won't let us down._

* * *

_"Okuma Tomoko? She's alright. Very cute, like a little sister... from another mister. Oh, gotta write that down." _

_-Izuki Shun_

* * *

** Review?**


	8. In With the New

Hello readers! I noticed that FFN was down around the time I uploaded chapter 7 so if you didn't get the update for it, please read that one first. Otherwise, enjoy this update and leave a comment about what you think! ^^

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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_Midorima-kun is benched after only five minutes?_ Tomoko wondered when the whistle sounded from the other side of the court and the Shutoku shooting guard sat down with the rest of his team._He's good... Shutoku is already 14 points ahead._

She turned back to her own team's game. Despite Kagami's first score that got the game rolling, Seiho was still making it especially hard for them to score again. There was a nine point difference between them and it was impossible to take the ball with Seiho's fast passes.

The ball flew to Mitobe, but he wasn't fast enough as Tsugawa dashed in front of him and took possession of the ball. He sped up to the basket and jumped, but the ball was suddenly knocked out of his hand by Kagami.

"Foul! White 10!"

Hyuuga's face paled. _Hey, isn't that his third one already?_

"Seiho's move are so hard to catch on to," Tomoko pouted, her hands in fists as she looked at Kagami worriedly. "He's getting so many fouls and it's only the first quarter..."

Another whistle. "Out of bound, white ball!"

As the ball was being retrieved, Tsugawa watched the scoreboard as he walked towards his team. Suddenly, he bumped into something—or rather, someone. He jumped back when the person he collided with called out an apology.

"Huh? Who are you? Have you been playing this game?" he pointed accusingly at Kuroko, eyes wide.

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. I have been."

"Didn't Kuroko-kun say that Tsugawa played against his team in middle school? How does he not remember?" Tomoko asked incredulously in her seat. After intensely analyzing the bald headed player, she then nodded with understanding. "He must have really bad memory."

Riko sighed as she patted the girl's head. "Eh, I think it's just because Kuroko-kun's presence is way too low for others to notice him."

"Did you know?" Tsugawa continued, suddenly excited, "Last year our team was ahead of yours by 20 points in the first quarter! That's why I want to make it 30."

_Having confidence is good, but that's just rude..._ Tomoko frowned. She could see that her seniors were irked with his comment. "Don't eat your words on the way out, 'cause we won't let that happen," she replied in Kuroko's stead. Tsugawa perked up at the sight of her.

"You're the cheerleader! Hey, when I get 30 points ahead this quarter, cheer for me instead, okay?"

"If," Tomoko corrected, her eyes hard. "And I'll take that bet."

"So you'll do it!" he said happily.

"Okuma-san," Kuroko said softly, his sapphire eyes locking with her pale pink pools. It seemed to convey his displeasure with that deal. The rest of the team expressed the same concern and confusion.

Tsugawa laughed excitedly and patted the phantom's back. "Don't look so down and disappointed!" he said, starting to jog back towards his team. "It's better to cheer for a stronger team after all."

"Oi, do you even realize what you're saying?" Kagami gripped her head as he twisted her body to face him. He was already pissed at the baldy for mouthing off Seirin, but she was also making him want to throw another basketball at her thick skull. Tomoko cried out at the pain coming from his tight hold and a tear welded up in her eye.

"Taiga-chan, it hurts~!"

"You just agreed to cheer for the other team!" he growled disbelievingly before letting go. "If you didn't know, it makes you look like a traitor," he looked away with a scowl.

The team grew silent, and then Tomoko started to giggle.

Kagami's eye twitched. _She still has the nerve to be laughing about this?!_

"I'm a believer, remember?" she told them, "I believe in you, Kagami Taiga, and everyone on this team. There is not an ounce of doubt I have for Seirin, so by the end of this quarter, I_ know_ I won't be sitting on the other side cheering for someone other than _my_ teammates! Besides..." she glanced over at her blue eyed friend and grinned.

They followed her gaze and all turned to Kuroko, who had turned silent after Tsugawa's last remark. His bangs had concealed his eyes, but when he looked up, they could see that his blank look held something more.

"I can't disappoint the team like that! Kuroko-kun wouldn't allow it to happen, right?"

He flashed a brief look in Tsugawa's direction before nodding at his own team. "I will make sure I am not disappointed."

* * *

_19 to 19._

"Seirin's tied with Seiho!" Kise grinned from his seat at the upper level of the arena. He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back in a relaxed position. "Told you, Seirin has some experts."

Kasamatsu didn't take his eyes off the players down below, "Ah. The game's just getting started." _Seirin High... They are incredible in their own way._

"Seiho's iron wall has been ruffled, but how long will that last?" the blonde said happily, watching as Kagami made another basket with Kuroko's invisible passes at the start of the second quarter. "Kuroko-cchi's passes are as amazing as usual!"

The raven haired captain chose the wise decision to drone out the enthusiastic male's praises for his old teammate. _It's like he's obsessed, _he rolled his eyes. Attention back on the game, Kasamatsu noticed that something was off. Seiho didn't seemed to be pressuring Kagami as they played offense anymore—their number 10 especially, he was rather lax with his guard on the redhead.

_What are they planning?_

When Kagami made a move to slam a basket, Kasamatsu, along with team Seirin, realized what was happening. The whistle blew as Tsugawa Tomoki landed on the floor, right under Kagami.

"Offense foul! White 10!"

He raised a brow. _Did he do that on purpose?_

"That idiot! What is he doing?" Kise yelled before slinking down on his seat and pouted. It was only the second quarter and he'd managed to get four fouls. _Tsugawa's tough alright._

"They're going to have to substitute him," Kasamatsu commented, frowning. "With four fouls, he'll be too scare to make any plays."

Just like he said, the Seirin coach went up to the judges to request a switch. The redhead didn't look to happy, but he couldn't hear what the team was saying from where he sat. However, he then spotted the Seirin manager he met a few times say something to both Kagami and Kuroko as they walked out of the court.

"They're subbing _both_ of them?" he asked surprisingly. From the redhead's flustered posture, he could tell that either the phantom or the Seirin manager had something something to cause his agitated embarrassment.

"Huh?" Kise leaned over the railing to see what was happening. Spotting Tomoko as well, his sour pout began to lift when she seemed to glance briefly over at his general direction. "Kuma-cchi!"

"Why do you sound so excited? She's been sitting over there the entire time."

The blonde wiggled towards his senior, "But she didn't notice me until now!" He waved more vigorously down at the court, "Hey, Kuma-cchi~!"

Kasamatsu pushed the male away with a disgruntled look. The blonde was only attracting the attention of people siting around them. "I'm pretty sure she didn't notice you even now. Stop fantasizing about weird stuff and be quiet!"

"Senpai, she's not looking! Huh, is she—is that _Midorima-cchi_ she's looking at?!"

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_eight_

**in with the new**

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Tomoko could tell by glancing behind her that the audiences were surprised when her team subbed out the ace and his shadow, forming speculations about how the game will go without the two first-years.

However, to her, it was okay if the watchers thought that her seniors won't be able to carry the game; it'll just make their success more fruitful when they show what they can do and claim the victory for Seirin.

_We'll prove that we're ready for Shutoku,_ she thought. Shutoku's fans were still chanting loudly in support of the team; Tomoko took a peek at the other court and saw that Shutoku had already let both of their first-years sub out on the bench. It was only the seniors playing at this point, and they were doing exceptionally well.

Her pale pink eyes then landed on the green haired miracle. Midorima and his black haired friend were actually observing her team—where they perhaps impressed? When both emerald and steely grey orbs locked with her pink ones, she flashed them a smile.

Takao grinned back with delight as Midorima quickly looked away, as if pretending that he didn't know her. Tomoko chuckled before turning her attention back to her own team.

"Nice shot, Izuki-senpai!" she cheered out loud when she caught Izuki flashing past two Seiho players, causing them to crash into each other, and made the basket._ He maneuvered the ball so quickly!_

To the players on the court, the point guard's moves were so fast that you wouldn't notice it unless you had a bird's eye view from above. Seiho's Ryuhei Kasuga, who was marking Izuki, was having trouble keeping up.

"Izuki-kun's got an eagle eye," Riko revealed to the first years proudly.

"Eagle eye?" they echoed.

"He's not particularly athletic, but he can change his point of view instantaneously inside his head, allowing him to see the entire court," she said, smiling. "Your seniors all have their one special skill, you know, and they've been polishing them for a whole year. Don't underestimate them."

"Wow, really?" Furihata exclaimed, "They're amazing!"

"Then, do Koganei-senpai and Tsuchida-senpai have special skills, too?!" Kawahara asked, leaning over.

Riko's expression went from proud to somewhat reluctant. An eye twitched slightly as she gave them a nervous grin. "H-Huh? Uh, yeah."

"It must be something super cool," Tomoko sighed in awe, resting her head on Kuroko's shoulder as she watched the ball soar in the air towards Koganei. "Ne, we sure have a team of impressive people, Kuroko-kun."

The short haired brunette scratched her head. "A-Ah, you can say that. Koganei-kun can shoot from all ranges!" she said, making the team all stare at their catlike senior with great expectancy as he aimed to shoot.

The ball bounced off the rim with a loud bang.

"But his accuracy is only so-so!"

"Look!" Tomoko pointed to Tsuchida as he quickly grabbed the ball for a rebound. "He's so fast!"

The coach grinned, "And Tsuchida is good at rebounding!"

"Doesn't that make them pretty normal?" Kagami asked exasperatedly.

"I think it's great!" Tomoko said, her eyes full of great hope for her seniors. They may not be prodigies, but they used hard work to make up for that and it counted more than anything else combined.

Besides, as the third quarter passed by, the seniors were doing a good job at keeping the score gap to a minimal. Seirin was only five points away from Seiho when fourth quarter started.

Tsuchida currently had possession of the ball, but was closely guarded by Iwamura and couldn't make a move. The big Seiho captain then took the chance and slapped the ball from Tsuchida's hands, making it fly across the court.

The Seiho players all tried to run after it, but when the ball seemed it was going out of bound before they would reach it, Koganei shot past them frantically and turned the ball around. However, the forceful movement caused the male to lose his balance and he came crashing into the bench where the Seirin first years sat.

"Koganei-kun, are you okay?!" Riko gasped as she peered at him; he looked completely knocked out with swirls in his eyes. "Or not!"

"Koga-kun, Koga-kun! Can you hear me?" Tomoko waved a hand across the small forward's face and tilted her head to the side with worry. "Uh, I think he's unconscious."

Riko kneeled down besides the unconscious male and nodded weakly. It looked like he had a light concussion and it would not be safe to get him back into the game. _Damn, we still have one quarter left._

"We have to sub him out," she sighed.

"Let me play!" Kagami said immediately, "...Please!"

"Have you forgotten why we're conserving your energy?" Hyuuga came up behind the redhead, annoyed that the male was so adamant and stubborn. "We'll settle this. You just wait!"

"I can't just sit here and watch! I want to help—"

"But Taiga-chan, you already have four fouls!" Tomoko interjected.

"I-I know that!" he sputtered, his cheeks turning pink. "I've got to pay Tsugawa back for what he did! I'll—" This time Kuroko interrupted him with a hand to his mouth. "Whuf de hell!"

"I agree with Okuma-san," Kuroko deadpanned. "So the guy with four fouls should stay on the bench." Kagami lips twitched, reaching over to grab the blue haired male.

"Ha, what'd you say?"

Kuroko looked at him evenly. "I know you want revenge on Tsugawa-kun, but if you foul him again, you'll just be thrown off the court. So I will beat Tsugawa-kun for you."

The Seirin captain glanced at the scoreboard. This was quite the dilemma... They needed six more points in five minutes, and they can't afford to lose Kagami if he gets another foul. With Kuroko, however... _Maybe this will work._

"Fine," he said. "I'll let you take down Tsugawa, Kuroko." The redhead widened his eyes.

"What! Wait!"

He felt the small manager tug on his arm, "Taiga-chan, don't be so stubborn! You still have Shutoku to worry about, don't you? Please just let Kuroko-kun take care of this. Don't you believe in our team? We'll win this!"

He watched as the judges announced a member change for Seirin and Kuroko walked into the court. He looked away. "I know that too..." Kagami sighed. "Fine."

Tomoko patted him like she would a puppy, although not being able to reach his head with her height without tip-toeing. "Good! It's not so bad being a cheerleader once in a while, ya know!"

The redhead growled with frustration and stalked to the other side of the bench. Just when he thought he softened up to the way-too-perky girl, she says something like this to throw him off. _She's impossible..._

* * *

"I'm surprised they sent you and not Kagami," Tsugawa said to Kuroko when they positioned themselves. He was marking him. "But for them to send a first year at all... Seirin's seniors really are weak after all."

"If you've been watching the game, there's no way you could believe that. They have their will to win, and I have my respect for them," Kuroko's response was soft but full of emotion. This game was very important to his seniors; they put in so much work to get this far... And for them to place all of their heart and hope on this game, he wouldn't let them down. He _couldn't._

He didn't wish for the team that he came to care deeply for to give up and hate what they love. It was a miserable feeling that was only lifted because he met the wonderful people on Seirin's basketball team._ And Okuma Tomoko..._

"I will defeat you to support them," he said confidently, "the seniors who I look up to."

Tsugawa gasped when the phantom disappeared before him.

_N-No way! I lost him! How did... _He panicked; the ball was already flying towards Hyuuga and the male swiftly scored a point for Seirin. It wasn't merely Kuroko's magical passes, but the other players seemed to be able to move past Seiho's defense. They slipped in another score.

Tsugawa looked around, his head hot and breathing labored. "What is this? What's going on?!"

"They know our movements!" one of his teammates said, panting.

"Thanks to you guys, one of our DVD players is ruined," the Seirin captain grinned when he passed Iwamura.

Hyuuga and the team had figured out how Seiho moved after studying the DVDs long and hard after each practice. _When one specializes, they form habits._ Seiho tend to turn their feet toward the direction they want to move in even before actually moving, thus giving Seirin the advantage to 'see' where they want to go and act accordingly.

Even though it was very subtle and they couldn't really do anything until the second half, it was Seiho's blind spot nonetheless and they are making damn sure to put it to use.

With only thirty seconds left in the game, Tsuchida suddenly scored a three-pointer and the crowd gasped at the score.

70 to 69. Seirin was in the lead!

_Not so fast!_ Iwamura growled and shot past both Mitobe and Hyuuga, successfully gaining the score back. He stood, "Do not underestimate a king! You need 10 more years of experience to beat us!"

"An all man-to-man court?" Riko widened her eyes. Around her, the first years and Tomoko were all at the edge of their seats, hanging on to any string of indication that Seirin will pull through in these last few seconds.

* * *

"They're not just trying to defend," the Kaijo captain furrowed his brows in amazement, "they're trying to score another point!"

The player with the eagle eye had twisted past the blonde point guard and threw the ball to Kuroko, who got ready to pass it over to another teammate. But out of nowhere, Tsugawa appeared next to the blue haired male.

"Tsugawa? How?!" Kise gasped.

"He found him by calculating backwards from the pass course!"

Kise clenched his jaws._ Kuroko-cchi...!_

* * *

"Kuroko!" Kagami and Tomoko both yelled at the same time, jumping up from their seats. Tsugawa will surely block him if he tried to pass it now!_ It wasn't as if—_

They widened their eyes when Kuroko swiped at thin air; the ball was still spinning. _He missed? _With his other hand, he then hit the ball towards Hyuuga.

"With that timing..." Tomoko couldn't keep her astonishment, "he changed targets!" With the ball in possession, their captain jumped and released it.

Silence filled the arena as the ball soared across the court. It dropped into the basket with a small _swish._

The buzzer sounded. "Game over!"

"We...!" team Seirin gasped.

"All right!" Tomoko shouted with victory, running up with the rest to congratulate the team. "We did it! Seirin won!"

The players of Seiho High looked down in disappointment. They were one of the three kings, but yet a school like Seirin was able to beat them. Iwamura watched as Seirin huddled up in a group hug and chuckled at himself. _The girl said they wouldn't back down, and they didn't. __They knocked us off our high horse._

"Why?!" Tsugawa shouted, gaining the attention of the court. He was angry because he didn't understand it. "Seirin just formed last year! We practiced way more than them!" he glared at Seirin, "You guys didn't stand a chance last year!"

"And a year of practice made them stronger," Tomoko replied with a gentle smile. "You have to admit that."

He frowned, not willing to accept this fact. "No matter how you look at it, we're still stronger!"

"Enough, Tsugawa," Iwamura placed a hand on the hot-headed teen's shoulder.

"But...!"

"The strong don't win. The winners are the strong ones," his captain said. "They were stronger. That's all."

Tsugawa clenched his teeth, still not able to let this go. Locking his eyes on the blue haired player who managed to get past his defense, he called out to him. "Tell me your name!"

Kuroko turned. "Eh?"

"Your name!" he said again.

"It's Kuroko Tetsuya."

"I'll remember it! I definitely won't forget!" he vowed with determination. "The next time we meet up, things will be different. I'll train harder and beat Seirin!"

Kuroko felt his heart warming with those words. _I'll look forward to that day,_ he thought. Besides him, Tomoko nodded happily.

* * *

After the match with Seiho, team Seirin all went back to their locker area to do some proper before-game preparations for their next big game. Riko busied herself with helping Hyuuga and the others with massaging their overworked muscles and giving out orders to keep the players warmed up, charged, and hydrated. Tomoko handed out bottles of drinks and her homemade snacks as well as energy bars.

"That was a great game, you guys! Here's a energy drink and something I made to restore your energy for the next game."

"What is this, Okuma-chan?" Tsuchida asked as he peered at the girl's newest creation.

"It's bugs on a raft!" the perky manager explained, pointing to each ingredient of the healthy snack. She had sliced large Fuji apples in half and partially hollowed out both sides and smeared peanut butter inside, and on the top she sprinkled raisins and chopped left over apples. "The raisins and apples are suppose to be the bugs."

Koganei took a bite and contemplated the flavor. "The mention of bugs don't sound too appetizing... But this is really good!" he praised, going for a second bite happily.

"It's a light but filling snack," Riko nodded in approval. The manager really knew the nutrition values when it came to baking healthy, appropriate treats for the team to enjoy and help them through this high-energy day. "Good job, Okuma-chan. We all appreciate your help."

Tomoko grinned and gave the older girl a thumbs' up. She was happy she could assist her team. When she made her way around the boys and finally got to Kagami, she was not too surprised to find him dozing off. Even though the redhead only played for two quarters, he needed every ounce of energy he can save for going against Shutoku.

_Though, Riko-san might yell at you for sleeping so carelessly,_ the caramel haired girl mused. Right on cue, the coach's shout confirmed her thoughts.

"Kagami! Your body will freeze up if you sleep!"

Hyuuga's lips quirked with amusement, "Mah, let him be."

"He's not usually this down after a game," Izuki commented after a sip of his energy drink. The redhead, if anything, would be jumping at the opportunity to practice more before facing his intended opponent of the day, Midorima Shintarou.

"It's probably because he got four fouls," Koganei replied, sneaking his hand into the plastic container for a third serving of the manager's tasty snack. He immediately retracted it when Tomoko saw what he was up to and guarded the container in her arms. He pouted before continuing. "It's nothing to worry about."

"Sorry Koga-kun, I'm saving these two," she mouthed apologetically. Kagami was bound to be hungry when he wakes up from the light nap, and she didn't want him to be deprived of some much needed nutrient charge as well as to miss out on her newest creation. She set it besides the redhead and scooted closer to Kuroko, who was quietly munching on the snack.

Hyuuga watched the redhead briefly before regarding the team with a small smile. "Maybe he feels responsible in his own way; but, I don't think he's sleeping. Looks to me like he's saving every last bit of energy he has for the next game."

"Well," Tomoko stood up swiftly, "until Taiga-chan's done recharging, I'm gonna go walk around the building. Do you guys want anything?"

"Is that even allowed?" Koganei asked as the rest shook their heads to the girl's question.

She flashed them a quick smile as she took a step outside the team's locker room. "It's a manager's job to scope out the other team's information, isn't it? I'll go do that!"

The catlike teen fell silent. "I guess...?"

"Excuse me. I'll go with her," Kuroko stood as well and followed the caramel haired manager before any one could sound an objection.

There wasn't much else for the team to do, other than keeping their bodies warmed up and properly restored, and Tomoko was basically free of responsibilities until the afternoon game start in an hour or two. However...

Riko let out a sigh.

_Not like she'll get much 'information' on the other team. They're in their own locker rooms, like us._

* * *

Tomoko hummed as she and Kuroko made their way down the spacious hall of the Interhigh building. Most of the people were still at the stands, waiting for the next game to start, and others swarmed the vending machines and refreshment kiosks.

"Okuma-san," the phantom started to say.

Not skipping over a beat to her tone, the girl only _hm'ed_ in question.

"I want to thank you for believing in us. In me."

They both stopped as they stared at each other. Tomoko grabbed the blue haired teens hands in hers. "Of course I did! We're a team!"

Kuroko nodded. "I'm glad."

"You're glad what?"

_Glad that you're part of my life._

"I'm glad to have met you, Okuma-san. You're a wonderful person."

A small blush spread across the girl's face as she grinned widely. Friendship wasn't rare to her, being as outgoing as she was, but back in her old school she felt like she never really belonged to one group. She was a bit like a nomad—seeking affections from person to person. Seirin was different somehow. Ever since she met the blue haired basketball player and joined the basketball team, the team suddenly became her world. Being a passionate person herself, she admired their dynamics, their hard work and determination.

And it was the moments when it all payed off through the show of skills and growth that Tomoko could never stop treasuring.

"Wanna know something?" she laughed, "You and Kagami are like my best friends! I'm glad to have met you too."

Even though he didn't express it, on the inside Kuroko felt happy to have such a title.

"Now, if Kuroko-kun is the shadow and Taiga-chan is the light, does that make me..." Tomoko pouted after thinking for a long, hard moment. "What does that make me?"

"You're Okuma Tomoko."

She laughed, "That's so unoriginal! I want a cool title too..." Her eyes suddenly lit up when they passed a kiosk selling fresh fruit smoothies. She guided Kuroko to sit down at a nearby bench and motioned to the kiosk excitedly. "Stay here, Kuroko-kun, I'll be right back!"

The boy only nodded before she ran up to the line. There was a lot of people, but the line was moving fast with the quick service. Soon, Tomoko found herself caught in the middle of the crooked line.

_Should I get pineapple? Strawberry-mango? Oooh, they have strawberry-vanilla!_

"Ah~ Otsubo-san and and Shin-chan are going to yell at me for being gone for so long..."

Tomoko turned to the familiar voice in front of her. "Takao-kun?" The raven haired teen from Shutoku recognized her and beamed.

"It's Tomo-chan!" he greeted casually. "Getting a smoothie too?"

She nodded. "Yup!"

"I heard these guys make pretty good ones..." Takao noted, playful grey eyes gazing across the choice menu briefly before landing on the girl. "Hey, good game by the way! Personally, I'm excited to play against Seirin. I think Shin-chan's pretty happy too."

"He should be," Tomoko grinned proudly, "we promised to join Shutoku at in the finals!"

"Looks like you've kept it~"

He honestly didn't expect Seirin to win; Seiho was a much stronger team from the get-go and he even told Midorima that they'd most likely will be playing the latter. However, life was full of surprises and he couldn't say that he wasn't excited for that.

"Next!"

Both perked as the worker called for the next one to order and Takao weaved to the front since he was first. He turned back to Tomoko, "Tomo-chan, I haven't picked which one I want yet. What did you choose?"

The girl pointed to the one she had her eyes on. "I'm going for the strawberry-vanilla! You should try it, or get the peach-mango-banana—both sound delicious!"

"Two strawberry-vanilla smoothies, please."

The worker nodded and went to work. Within moments, two milky-pink colored smoothies were set in front of the male and after paying he walked back towards Tomoko.

"Here, this one's for you," he grinned as he handed a plastic cup over.

"Huh?" she blinked in confusion. Takao had to pull her to the side to avoid blocking the way of other people as the next one was called up to order.

"It's a good luck for the game!" he said.

At first, Tomoko didn't know what to say, but after staring at him as he smiled back innocently, she gave him a brilliant smile of her own. "Thank you... Good luck to both of our teams!"

"Cheers~!" Takao clicked his cup with hers. He then took a sip of the smoothie and his eyes widened, "This is really good!"

Tomoko readily agreed. _I wonder if Kuroko-kun likes strawberry?_

"Hm, isn't that him sitting over there? Shin-chan's old teammate?" he waved to the blue haired phantom, a small smirk on his face as thy walked towards the bench.

_He noticed Kuroko-kun right away?_ Salmon eyes widened slightly. _That's something that doesn't happen everyday..._

Takao hooked an arm around the shorter boy and greeted him. "Yo! If it isn't Shin-chan's friend!"

"Hello," Kuroko said in monotone, his blue eyes boring into Takao's grey hues before turning to Tomoko. "We should head back soon."

The girl sipped on her drink and nodded happily. "Okay~ but first, you should try this!" she handed the smoothie to him, which he took without qualms. Watching him savor the sweet and fresh flavor pleasantly, she grinned. "It's good, right?"

"It is."

"Better than Maji Burger's vanilla shake?"

"..."

The Shutoku point guard watched the two briefly before getting ready to go himself. It was going to be an interesting game, he could tell. "Ah~ I should head back too," he flashed Tomoko and Kuroko a dazzling smile. "I look forward to playing you in the next game."

* * *

_"Kids these days don't know how to talk to their seniors. Geez."_

_-Hyuuga Junpei_

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**Review?**


	9. Seize Fate By the Throat!

Let me tell you, writing college essays is 100x harder than writing stories... Anyway, I really appreciated your reviews! xx

1/2/2016 edit: Nothing major; instead of calling Tomoko's mom "Mrs. Okuma" all the time, I named her "Chiharu".

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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_Today's horoscope for Cancer is number one. I even brought today's lucky item, a raccoon Shigaraki. _

_I tied the laces on my right shoe first. _

_I have done everything right. _

Emerald eyes opened slowly. He was ready.

"The upperclassmen already left." Takao was leaning against the wall from the door when Midorima came out, the small smile was ever present on his face. The green haired teen paid no attention to the ravenette's remark and headed for the arena.

"Guess who I saw earlier," the ravenette went on asking, his arms crossed behind his head in a nonchalant manner as he fowillowed. "Your friends from Seirin!"

"I don't know who you're talking about."

Takao caught up to the tsundere teen and grinned. "Aw, you're in denial Shin-chan. You wouldn't go to every single one of Seirin's matches in the preliminaries if you didn't find them interesting~"

Midorima chose not to answer. Out in the arena, the rest of the team was already getting ready for the game. Shutoku's team captain called the two over to go over some starting strategies and what he expected of the team.

"Nothing changes here. Whether we're dealing with a tiger or a rabbit, there is only one thing for a lion to do," Otsubo Taisuke challenged, his eyes set with determination. "As usual, we must win!"

As the team shouted out a chorus of _yeah!'s_, Midorima stole a glance at the other team. To his slight entertainment, the Seirin seniors looked beat. This was all within his expectations; Seirin was a rookie team anyway, having them go against two kings in a row was bound to tire them. May it be surprising that they beat Seiho, all of their luck stops at this game.

His emerald eyes stay trained on a head of caramel hair for moments longer. He furrowed his brows. _I will show you, Okuma Tomoko, that one's fate cannot be changed._

The whistle blew and the teams got ready to form their pre-game lineup. Tension filled the arena. This game will determine whether Seirin will miraculously beat two kings in a row to win, or Shutoku will again protect its rightful throne.

"It ends here. Your belief that no matter how weak, small, or unknown , any team can fight as long as they work together—that's just an illusion," Midorima said as he passed by his former teammate. "Come, I will show you just how foolish your choice was."

The blue haired teen gave him his ever-so blank look. "No one knows what the right decision is to make in life, and that is not why I made this choice," he said evenly. "Also, if I may disagree with one thing, it's that Seirin is not weak. We will not lose."

Midorima scuffed.

"Let the preliminary A block championship game between Seirin High School and Shutoku High School begin!"

* * *

"I think Midorima-kun said something that pissed Taiga-chan off," Tomoko observed from their team's bench. "Look, he's all fired up now!"

Riko glanced at the two tall basketball players on the court. They were indeed exchanging some words, but now it looked like it was the Shutoku ace who seemed annoyed by Kagami's optimism. "Just as long as he doesn't lose his cool," she watched the teams get into their positions and the whistle blew once more.

_Seirin, stay strong! _

Immediately, Kagami was able to reach the ball first and passed it to Mitobe, who in turn shot it to Izuki. It looked like a great start for Seirin, but Shutoku was quick; Izuki contemplated how he was going to carry out a run-and-gun for the quick shot, but there were no gaps for their defense.

However, Seirin was not going to let this go down without a fight.

"We have to attack them in the first quarter," Riko said while she trained her sharp eyes on the team's phantom player. He was being carefully marked by Shutoku's number 5, but the player didn't account for the phantom's wavering presence and soon found him nowhere to be seen. "Greet them by taking them by a storm!"

Izuki passed the ball to Kuroko right on cue and the boy slapped it toward the net, where Kagami was lying in wait. He jumped and got ready for an alley-oop; the move startled Shutoku and audiences in the bleachers, especially Kise since he realized that it was the same signature move they applied on himself during the practice match.

"Yes, we scored the first point!" Furihata cheered with the rest as Kagami soared across the court. It was going to be a definite basket!

"Wait," Tomoko suddenly gasped, having noticed the green blob that was coming up next to the redhead. The ball was harshly slapped out of his hands by no other than Midorima. "It didn't work!"

The ball then went to the possession of Takao and he grinned. "I knew you could do it, Shin-chan!"

A chorus of disbelief echoed across the arena; even Riko was stunned by the Shutoku shooting guard's fast reaction to her team's play.

Midorima turned to face Kagami, his brows set in a disappointed sneer. He really only needed to watch one of the redhead's matches to predict his movements and plays. After all, what good was it when the only thing you can do is dunk?

"How disappointing. You think you can beat us with that?"

Kagami glared at the miracle with frustration; he was going to do all that he can to prove the egoistic bastard wrong. The game continued, but the two teams soon found themselves in a tug of war of preventing each other from scoring.

"It's almost two minutes and Shutoku hasn't scored yet," salmon eyes followed Kuroko as he misdirected the ball again to Izuki. "Is that a good sign?"

"Not at all, especially since we can't score either," Riko sighed. She was sure that Seiho, who were all watching from the bleachers, knew as well that having the two teams being stuck in equilibrium was not good. She was worried.

Unbeknownst to her, she mimicked both Iwamura and Kasamatsu's thought. "Here's the thing; the flow of the game changes at least three times during the four quarters. However, once your opponent takes control of the game, it's very difficult to take it back during the same quarter."

Tomoko nodded, "It all comes down to who score the first point then..." her fists balled as she watched as Hyuuga try his best to block Takao. The ravenette was way too fast for the Seirin team captain, though, and the ball soared through the air to his intended recipient. She widened her eyes at the same time as her teammates when she saw Midorima. "Oh no."

It was clear to anyone on the court that when the ball becomes in the possession of the green haired miracle, his next basket was guaranteed and there was next to nothing anyone from the opposing team could do about it. It didn't even matter where he was standing on the court.

Midorima Shintarou never misses.

The crowd cheered. "It's a three-pointer!"

"What an incredible shot!"

_But wait... Kuroko-kun's about to do something,_ the manager suddenly realized. Kuroko was retrieving the ball as it was coming down from the basket; with the other team walking leisurely down to the other side, he had enough time to execute his next move and Tomoko broke out in a wide grin.

Midorima caught her look just a second too late and as he turned back around to face Kuroko, the blue haired phantom had already shifted his body in a circulatory movement and flung the forgotten basketball. He widened his emerald eyes as the ball shot straight down the court, millimeters away from his ear, like a bullet.

And the redhead was there at the end—with no one to block him.

The crowd once again cheered, this time mixed with shocked gasps. "Seirin got the score back within a second!"

"W-What was that?" Koganei exclaimed from the bench, having never seeing anything like this before. With that basket, neither team was in definite control again.

"That cut straight from one side of the court to the other," Tsuchida gulped; the two first years on the court were definitely not to be underestimated...

"I believe that," Tomoko clapped happily, "was a speedy comeback!"

* * *

_Hmmm..._

Shutoku's coach, Nakatani Massaki, was rendered in deep thought by Seirin's unexpected score. He had to admit that it was surprising to him that the boy with such low presence was able to pull that move off in front of Midorima...

Nakatani knew, on a certain level, of the miracle's past in Teiko, but he thought that Midorima was able to subdued the proclaimed sixth man. However, the shooting guard had let his ego get in the way and underestimated Seirin.

"He can pass like that, too... They can shut down Midorima that way," he held a focused look on the other team. "Hm, what should we do?"

* * *

Takao eyed his opponents, _w__e can't have people think this is all it takes to shut us down. _He calculated the different positions that Seirin was in and maneuvered his way around them. With a swift back-hand, he threw the ball to the opening Otsubo had.

Otsubo then sped across the court and made the shot. Once again they gained the advantage, but it wasn't long before Seirin took it away again with Kuroko's misdirection.

"Takao, Kimura, change marks," the Shutoku coach then ordered. "Takao, get number 11."

_Finally, _the ravenette smirked.

To Seirin, it just seemed like an unnecessary move because no matter who was marking their phantom player, they would only lose him within a second thanks to the boy's low presence. Riko noted that the other team was taking a direct approach now, but even she was perplexed on what the Shutoku coach was thinking.

When Takao made another pass in front of Kuroko, Izuki was the first to realize the other point guard's hidden ability. The look in the Shutoku ravenette's eyes said it all. The reason for Coach Nakatani to order the switch of marks became clear; Takao was somehow capable of preventing Kuroko from performing his passes.

"How is he able to do that?" Riko was in shock. No one has been able to interject Kuroko's passes like that!

"Is that why he was able to do that earlier?" Tomoko mused. Those around her turned to her in confusion, not understanding what she meant. Her expression grew in a mix of worry and bewilderment herself as she explained to her team. "Earlier, he was able to immediately noticed Kuroko-kun from behind the crowd of people even without me telling him that Kuroko-kun was out there in the first place. I just thought it was a coincident, but now it looks more like a deadly ability."

"...So it wasn't just luck this time either," the short haired coach deducted, glancing at Izuki. "Looks like Izuki-kun's noticed it too. That Takao Kazunari has something similar but more powerful than his eagle eye... He has a hawk eye!"

_So... Kuroko's misdirection won't work on Takao, _they thought. When that sank in to each player's minds, the game suddenly wasn't looking too good for Seirin anymore.

They have to think of something, quick, or they'll be in trouble.

* * *

The referee blew the whistle when team Seirin requested a quick time-out after the new turn of events. Both teams went back to their benches to freshen up and Takao observed his opponents from the corner of his eye after taking a few gulps of water. "Looks like Seirin's in trouble," he said casually.

"Do not let your guard down," Midorima chided beside him, "Kuroko will not go down so easily."

The ravenette hummed and glanced at the phantom, "It's fine. Once you take away his lack of presence, he's basically worthless—" he uncharacteristically winced after the sentence, gaining his green haired friend's attention.

"What?"

"I think Tomo-chan heard that somehow, she looks mad at me," Takao said sheepishly. On the other side, it looked like the Seirin manager was deep in thought and her salmon eyes seemed to be locked on the ravenette, but the notion that she had heard what he said was preposterous.

"Don't be stupid," Midorima said. He stared at the empty space in front of him and got back on the topic at hand. "It's wrong to underestimate him,—" _I did that and it he bested me, "_—that's why I hate it. I hate Kuroko because I respect him.

"He has no physical strengths and cannot do anything by himself. Despite that, he wears the same uniform as us at Teiko and led the team to victory. His abilities are nothing like ours; his strengths are of another kind. I don't like him because of that," Midorima bit out, "because the man I respect has chosen to bury himself with a team that cannot fully utilize his abilities."

_Buried himself in a low potential team, huh?_ Takao looked over to the other team one last time and saw that Kagami and Tomoko were cheering the boy up from his failure to use misdirection. He didn't argue with what Midorima said; he had a point, but another part of Takao challenged the validity of the statement because Seirin was so unpredictable.

"Time out over!"

* * *

Tomoko had a lot of faith in her team, but even she could see what was happening here. First quarter was almost over, and while Seirin was gaining points right behind Skutoku, Midorima's three-pointers will only drag the point difference farther apart.

_His range is seriously ridiculous,_ she thought. He was scoring from the center line for goodness sake!

Now Midorima had positioned himself back by the basket, where he was forcing Kagami to a dead end. The redhead wouldn't be able to get by him without Kuroko's passes, and he knew that Kuroko was incapable of making them because Takao would only block it.

Tomoko knew that it was a very smart play, but even she was irritated that Shutoku had bested Seirin _again. _Watching the two teams play made her felt like she was right in the center, taking part of the action. The emotions and adrenaline running through her felt so real.

She wanted Seirin to win this, and right now, Kagami just needed to shoot the damn ball.

"Shoot it, Taiga-chan! Just do what you do best!" she shouted.

_Is she crazy?_ Her team thought in unison. Kagami wasn't good at outside shots, there was no way he would make it even if he tried. Kagami thought the same thing as her request startled him and nearly threw him off-balance, but then something within him clicked.

He smirked and jumped to shoot the three-pointer. Midorima was clearly surprised by his action, because he was too slow to prevent it from happening—the redhead then stepped past him and charged at the basket.

"Is that going to make it?" Kawahara exclaimed at the edge of his seat. He's never seen Kagami make anything but dunks!

"I don't know," Tomoko said truthfully, making the team sigh in defeat. "But, I _do_ _know_ he can do what he does best—" she pointed out as Kagami raced past another Shutoku player and lifted himself off the ground just as the ball bounced off the rim of the basket and dunked it back in. The score board buzzed, "—and he's the best at dunking!"

"Woah! How did you think of that Okuma-chan?" the first years on the bench asked her. "A one man alley-oop!"

_One man alley-oop?_ She blinked. "Is that what it's called?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Oh. I had no idea!" she laughed after a second, "I just wanted Taiga-chan to shoot the ball so he can get past Midorima-kun without using Kuroko-kun's misdirection because it wouldn't work."

The team shouldn't be, and wasn't, surprised by her response at all. That was just how Okuma Tomoko worked; she gives out outrageous suggestions that oddly works. And as long as it did, they weren't to question it.

"Nice, Taiga-chan! You ran like a tiger!" Tomoko cheered at his victory. The redhead grinned; she was right, for once.

"Heh, I know."

"So nice how nice it was!" Izuki chimed in, using the pun that was used previously.

"Izuki... Seriously, stop."

Tomoko nodded to herself. They were now only one basket behind; if this keeps up, Seirin might be able to have a fighting chance after all. She was pretty amazed that Kagami understood what she meant, to be honest, but she let it off on the trust he had for his teammates.

Their victory was short-lived, however, when the sound of the ball bouncing on the floor caught their attention. Midorima had possession of the ball again.

"That was a pretty good shot for you, however..." he led on, his stance letting the others know that he was about to shoot.

_I-Impossible..._ Tomoko didn't want to imagine what the green haired player was about to do next. He was on the other side of the court... Just how far can he shoot? "No way he's going to do that..."

Midorima released the ball, his action caused the entire court to freeze and stare in absolute awe. It was like time started to go in slow motion as the ball flew over their heads in a perfect arch—Tomoko swore it nearly touched the ceiling—and landed in the hoop without even touching the rim.

Midorima smirked. "I told you, it's not that short. My shooting range is the entire court."

The buzzer sounded for the end of the first quarter.

"He's... Amazing..." Tomoko gasped with astonishment when her team came back to the bench for the two minute interval.

"Okuma-chan, don't act too awestruck by the other team, we'll lose hope!" Koganei complained, hushing the girl. He stole a look at the other team, "But seriously, how are we going to stop that?" The team, if not already, were at loss for this yet another surprise Shutoku had in store for them.

"This is the first time I've seen him shoot from that distance. The furthest I've seen was from the half line," Kuroko supplied as he sat down. Tomoko handed him a towel and water bottle.

"I've seen videos of NBA players making that shot during practice, but trying in an actual game is ridiculous," Izuki looked solemn. Beside him, Hyuuga glanced at the ceiling with exasperation.

"The Generation of Miracles is ridiculous."

"Then... We'll just have to be more ridiculous than them," Tomoko told them, looking over at Shutoku. She couldn't hear what they were saying of course, but it can't be good. "We can't let Midorima-kun be in possession of the ball during the second quarter. Not even once."

"That is pretty ridicuous, not to mention impossible," Hyuuga flinched.

"I know! But 'impossible' has 'I'm' and 'possible' in it," Tomoko retorted wittily. She slapped her captain on the back, hard. "You got this, taichou-senpai! Your Sengoku Warrior figure series will not be broken in vain!"

The captain paled and flushed all within the same minute with the mention of his precious figurines. It was during a dark time of his first year playing and Riko had suggested breaking one in his collection every time he missed a shot. Of course, now his whole team knew. _Damn it Riko, that was between you and I!_

* * *

Kise stared at his former green haired teammate from above. He never expected the extent of Midorma's range improvement. _The entire court, seriously? _

"The pressure is really on Seirin now; with Midorima having the ability to shoot from anywhere on the court, Seirin will have to take extra steps on preventing the ball from landing in his hands," Kasamatsu commented. His dark brows furrowed. "The Generation of Miracles are scarier than I originally thought."

"Knowing Midorima-cchi, he's going to tell his team to pass him the ball the entire second quarter," Kise added and suddenly turned to his senior with an amused look. "You think I'm scary?"

_Yes,_ the senior thought, but on the outside he expressed his annoyance at the blond. "Who can be scared of you?" he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, second quarter isn't looking too good for Seirin if that's the case."

It seemed so, since Midorima will stop at nothing to prove Kuroko wrong. It was like this since middle school; Kise idly remembered the daily arguments the two would have when it came to a topic related to basketball.

Those two just really didn't get along in that aspect. That, and the fact that the green haired miracle was convinced that his zodiac sign wasn't compatible with the phantom's. Otherwise, he was certain they could be great friends.

"Mah, Seirin needs to show some spirit," he sighed, turning his head distractedly to the side when he thought he saw something pink flash by from the corner of his eye. _Was that who I think it was?_

Kasamatsu, on the other hand, looked at the team with keen observation. "They are, idiot. Despite the difference in strength, they're still handing in there."

Kise leaned back in his chair and grunted as his mp3 fell out of his pocket. The recording of this morning's Oha Asa readings played back through his headphones. _It says Aquarius should lay low today, but I wonder what Kagami-cchi and Kuma-cchi are..._

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_nine_

**seize fate by the throat!**

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A grocery store clerk typed away on the old grey register as each item was processed down the belt. "Will that be all?" she asked her customer.

The customer, a woman around her mid-forties with friendly features, nodded and pulled out her wallet to pay. After all of the items were bagged and she received her change, the woman smiled and headed for the door. She stopped shortly before going out, however, when the visible grey clouds started to drizzle rain.

"I don't remember the forecast mentioning rain today," the woman said to herself, familiar warm salmon eyes blinked up at the raining sky. It looked like it was going to rain for a while, too. With a thought in mind, she headed back down to the girl at the register.

"On second thought, I'm going to need a few more things."

* * *

"Guys," Tomoko broke the silence as she stared at her teammates. The first half just ended and Seirin looked worse than when they went against Seiho, especially because they couldn't prevent a single one of Midorima's insane shots like she had suggested them to do. But the caramel haired girl was anything but disheartened.

_What can I do this time to cheer them up?_ she wondered, deep in thought.

"Okuma, you don't have to say anything. We're trying our best to focus on the game," Hyuuga said when he sensed the troubled look on the girl's face. Though, he still looked troubled himself.

Tomoko watched the team for a while longer and suddenly a resolve came to her. "Hm... I think I know what to do."

"...Eh?"

She grinned and flashed the team a goofy wink. "How 'bout another good luck kiss?"

Kuroko's pale blue eyes twitched as Kagami choked on his energy drink. A look of surprise and embarrassment flowed through each one her senior's faces; the mere thought of being kissed by someone like Okuma Tomoko was somewhat... _Exciting_ to them.

"A-Are you s-serious, Okuma-ch-chan?" Koganei sputtered, whereas Mitobe was looking nervously from side to side.

"Ain't nobody want a kiss from you, brat!" came the redhead's exclamation as he wiped the drops of red liquid from his chin from spitting his drink, though his face sported the same shade as his fiery hair. Next to him, Kuroko also voiced out a protest.

"You're not an incentive, Okuma-san."

"No, not me~ Riko-san's the one with the magic," the caramel haired manager smiled genuinely as she explained what she really meant by the 'kiss.' She pushed the unsuspecting coach in front of the team, "I'm sure our wonderful coach will be glad to give you guys another one, especially since you guys totally rocked the last game!"

"W-What?!" the older girl cried, having suddenly be put on the spot. Albeit she _was_ thinking about it, she didn't expect it to be put out in the open by the perky manager. "T-That's ridiculous!"

_R-Right!_ the rest thought. It wasn't such that Riko wasn't appealing, it was more that she scared them half the time (again, not that they would voice it out loud), but on the other hand one can still dream about what it would be like to be be kissed by their sweet manager.

"Eh… Regardless, we need another plan," Izuki then said, slumping back on the bench. "Not only is Midorima unstoppable at scoring left and right, his partner is providing him the chances to shoot."

"Yeah, he's tough…" Tomoko was quite troubled with the ravenette's hawk eye ability as well; it was the first time she has ever seen anyone able to sense Kuroko's presence so readily and block his specialty move. Tomoko could tell the phantom wasn't too happy about losing his ability to misdirect the ball. She just couldn't believe the Shutoku point guard didn't show any signs of his hawk eye until going against Seirin; otherwise the team might have been a little more prepared.

"Maybe we—"

_Knock._ The sound cut the girl off. _"Hello? Is Team Seirin in here?"_

The team simultaneously turned their heads towards the door at the soft spoken voice and Tomoko widened her eyes as she bounded over to open the locker room door.

"Mom!" the caramel haired girl confirmed when the elegant-looking woman was revealed. Aside from the woman's model-like height and obsidian curls, she looked just like Tomoko—right down to the hue of their soulful salmon eyes.

"How are you, darling?" Okuma Chiharu greeted, hugging her daughter before addressing the rest of the awe-stricken team. "Hello! Ah Riko-san, Tomo wasn't too awfully late today, was she?"

Riko snapped out of her trance and shook her head. The team went on staring; it was clear to them where Okuma Tomoko got her beauty from.

"That's good!"

"C-Come have a seat, madame!" Hyuuga stood from the bench to offer the space to the elegant woman, but she declined kindly.

"Your friends have very nice manners, Tomo! This one is the captain, Hyuuga Junpei, correct?" she asked Tomoko, who gave her a nod. Her eyes then landed on the blue haired boy who walked up to her and gave her a small bow. "Oh, and you must be the Kuroko-kun Tomo talks about all the time," she smiled, "nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Kuroko said politely.

The woman smiled gently and gave Tomoko the go-green bag she was holding. "Congratulations on defeating Seiho! I just came to drop these off," she gestured to the umbrellas when Tomoko revealed what was inside. "The rain is going to go on for a while and I didn't want you guys to get soaked after your victory game!"

Yes, the team thought, the caramel haired manager definitely inherited many of the older Okuma's traits.

"Thanks mom, you're the best!" Tomoko grinned, her smile lopsided. She threw a black umbrella over to Kagami, who was standing by himself in the corner. "Here Taiga-chan, you're looking _gloomy_ over there!" she said jokingly, trying to cheer the teen up.

"O-Oi!"

The redhead barely had time to catch the flying article (he successfully managed to grab it before it pelted his face) and glared at Tomoko with the intention of giving her a knuckle-sandwich, but he stopped his tracks when he realized the older Okuma was still present.

"Is that _the_ Kagami-kun?" Chiharu brightened up at the sight of the redhead. "I heard you can jump the distance that a tiger could leap!"

"Wha-m-_me_?" the redhead sputtered, taken off guard. "I-I…"

"Yeah, he's super good!" Tomoko praised proudly, "That's why his name in english means tiger!" At home, Tomoko would often tell her mom tales of her team with great respect and admiration and would narrate the games with great enthusiasm. The older woman, in turn, would listen with great interest. She was most enthralled with her daughter's mention of the 'monster from America.'

"Your opponents must be scared to go against you guys, huh?" Chiharu smiled.

Hyuuga gave out a mousy chuckle. "Actually, Shutoku is ahead of us right now…" he sighed, "I hate to quote Midorima, but I can't imagine us winning against them. With his acclaimed 'fate' and all."

"Well," Kuroko spoke up, "even if we lose by 100 points, there's a chance a meteor will strike the other team's bench in the last second."

A deep silence ran through the locker room, and then both Okumas giggled. "But I suppose that still wouldn't help the 100 point gap, would it?" said the woman amusingly.

"Maybe if they all got stomach aches at the same time…" Tomoko thought out loud, her expression serious. Koganei let out a laugh, stretching his arms as he leaned against his silent friend.

"Well, compared to that, a second half comeback is way more realistic."

"Ah see, that's the spirit!" both Okumas said at the same time; the team gawked at the synchronization of the two. _Like mother, like daughter…_

Hyuuga glanced at Riko and then back at the team. "Let's just keep running and think after the game is over," the Seirin captain said with an encouraging smile. He didn't want to be weak in front of his team; he must lead the team.

"Yeah!" they shouted.

"Well then, I better get going," the older Okuma bidded the team goodbye. Her salmon eyes shifted to the brooding redhead briefly. He had grew quiet throughout the conversation; anyone could tell that he was thinking too hard about his opponents. She nudged her daughter secretly to direct her attention on the redhead before leaving.

"Good luck, Seirin. Seize fate by the throat~!"

* * *

_"I kind of want a team manager now..." _

_Kimura blinked at his friend Miyaji Kiyoshi. "Eh? Did Seirin's manager catch your interest?" _

_"No. I want someone to bring me pineapples so I can throw it at Midorima's thick skull."_

* * *

**Review?**


	10. Live and Let Live

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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Tomoko and Kuroko watched anxiously from the bench as the third quarter rolled on. Seirin was successful in gaining back a few points now and then, but each time the ball landed in Midorima's hands, it caused the cycle of struggle to start all over again.

_We're still behind by almost half..._

The redhead tried to stop Midorima's shot by giving all his might in his jump, but it wasn't enough as the ball arched perfectly into the basket. Shutoku gained another point.

He was getting restless.

As the ball returned to the Shutoku shooting guard once more, Kagami was ready to jump again with the slim chance that he would be able to block it. It wasn't going to be easy, impossible to other's eyes even, but everyone in Seirin knows that the redhead had the uncanny ability to jump to an infinity height.

_Another jump..._

This time, his fingers grazed the orange ball just as it was going to descend into the net.

The crowd roared as the ball slightly lost its momentum and swirled around the rim before going down. It was something they never expected to happen; Midorima never shot anything less than perfect. Nevertheless, it was a small victory for Seirin—for now there was an opening that they could utilize. But as the team reveled with new found encouragement, Tomoko noticed a slight change in the redhead.

He was stronger, but something in his eyes was different from the other times she watched him play. "What is he thinking...?" she wondered, her voice soft enough that only Kuroko caught on.

It was a man-to-man between his former teammate and teammate. Kuroko observed the two with scrutiny as he thought back to what he had told Kagami earlier.

"I told Kagami-kun that while I have thought about winning, I have never wondered if I can win or not. I just play," the phantom said, watching as his teammate prevented Midorima from moving—even as Takao came up to screen him, he was able to get past the hawk eye player and catch up with the miracle. "I don't think he agrees."

The basketball clanked on the net harshly and bounced off, giving Mitobe a chance to take it away; however, Otsubo was faster. It was another point for Shutoku.

But the next thing that happened shocked the whole arena.

The ball was in Midorima's possession for another three-pointer, but for the first time, Kagami's high jump stopped it from going towards the net completely.

"He's really pushing himself," Tomoko realized when she witnessed his sheer display of strength. His spirit was undeniably burning with the passion that she so admired, and repeatedly, he has exposed Shutoku's weaknesses as he strengthened his own abilities. _But..._ "He's playing without the team."

"Okuma-san has noticed too," Kuroko confirmed, his expression sullen. "He's taking it upon himself to pressure Midorima-kun and the rest."

Tomoko frowned. Kagami_ was _doing exceptionally well on preventing the other team from scoring... And his jumps and blocks have exceeded anyone's expectations... He even managed to pull the score up 47 to 56. However, it wasn't going to last long if he continued to play like _that._

"He's straining himself too much!" salmon eyes narrowed. She was more than aware that as powerful as Kagami was, he still wasn't _superman._ She tensed up just as he tried to once again block Midorima with his insane jump, but like she feared, his body was depleted and his legs refused to budge.

"This isn't going to work," she turned to the blue haired boy, who grew quiet to watch the whole display, with worry laced across her face. "...He needs to cool down."

Kuroko nodded.

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_ten_

**live and let live**

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There was an air of relief when the end of third quarter buzzer sounded. It wasn't just Kagami who needed to be pulled back, but Tomoko could tell that the rest of the seniors needed the short break to catch their breaths.

She handed out towels and water bottles. When she reached Kagami, her expression showed a look of disquiet. "You don't have to be this worked up," she started to say, hoping that he would listen to her.

Hyuuga readily agreed as he chugged down his water. "That's right, and that wasn't the right time to go," he said, referring to the last play before the buzzer went off. It was because of Kagami's rash timing that the other team made a counterattack. "You should've passed first."

"What good would passing the ball around have done?"

That caught the captain off-guard. "Huh?"

Kagami wasn't looking at any of them; his blazing red eyes were trained solely on the empty court. "I'm the only one who stands a chance against Shutoku. We don't need team play now. We need me to score."

_What...? _Tomoko, along with the team, was startled that the redhead was saying such a thing to them. They had always been about teamwork!

"What are you saying?!"

"Oi, that's different from being self-centered!"

Despite the teams' confusion and protests, Kagami seemed to be set on what he proposed. However, it didn't sit right with the caramel haired manager and she was not afraid to voice out her displeasure with it.

She poked his forehead harshly. "Have you gone stupid?" she bit out, causing the rest to turn at her furious tone of voice. "I can't believe you would say something as selfish as this!"

"It's not selfish. It's the truth," Kagami glared back, swiping her hand away with an equally harsh motion. "If I don't score, we're just going to let the other team take the win!"

It happened in a flash; Kuroko went up to the redhead and punced him square in the face and caused the teen to fall off the bench and on to the floor. After a second Kagami got back up and lunged.

"Damn it, you bastard!"

"You can't play basketball by yourself," Kuroko droned, but there was a spike of anger in his tone.

"What, as long as we play nice together, you don't care if we lose?" Kagami retorted back, raising his voice as he balled up the collar of the blue haired teen's shirt.

"Stop it Kagami!" Tomoko cried as she wedged herself in between the two teammates, preventing the taller male from hitting the phantom back. "You're bringing everyone down!"

"Get out of my way, brat! This doesn't concern you!" he growled.

_D-Doesn't concern me?_ Tomoko widened her eyes with surprise and hurt. After all the time she's dedicated to the team, she meant nothing to him? She staggered back with a look of betrayal as her small hands balled into fists.

Kagami realized the harm in his words and he winced at his crassness. "Wait Okuma, I didn't—"

"You're trying to do what you think is best for the team, I know," she interjected, salmon eyes boring straight through his ruby orbs. The rim of her eyes were turning tender pink, a sign that she was keeping in angry tears. "But team Seirin is _not_ a team of one and you're not the only person you can rely on! Your mentality that only you can defeat Shutoku... It's really letting us—letting _me_ down right now..." the last part she said barely above a whisper, diverting her gaze to the polished wooden floor.

Kagami faltered a little, but he pressed on. "There's no point if we don't win!"

"There's no point if you win by yourself." He turned to Kuroko; sapphire clashed with ruby. "You said you wanted to beat the Generation of Miracles, but you're thinking just like them."

The meaning of the soft spoken teen's words sunk in and the team looked wearily at the offending redhead. _Kuroko-kun..._

"Even if we beat Shutoku as a team that can't trust each other, no one will be happy."

Kagami growled, "Don't be so naive! If we don't win, those are nothing more than nice words!"

_To say something like that..._ Tomoko's determined stance shrunk. She couldn't—didn't—want to believe that this was the Kagami Taiga she admired, the Kagami Taiga she had thought had so much spirit and faith in the team. Now he just seemed nothing more than someone programmed to win without a regard of his team.

"If that's your definition of victory, then I can't say I share the same view. I really _hate_ it," she said, turning her back from Kagami. _I don't want to be wrong about you..._ She was furious and she needed to get away from the redhead before she say or do something unforgivable. "Riko-san?"

The flabbergasted coach jumped inwardly. She cursed herself for being caught in a silence while her team was in this state. "Y-Yes?"

"I'm... I'll go get more water bottles. I'll be back," Tomoko said, barely mustering a strained smile before walking away.

* * *

"Eh, a conflict within the team?" Takao peered over at the other side where Seirin sat. There seemed to be a confrontation between the blue haired phantom, the team manager, and the redhead. "Tomo-chan is leaving...?"

Midorima, who had his eyes closed while gripping his raccoon Shigaraki tightly in his arms, opened his green pools just in time to see what his companion was talking about.

The once effervescent team manager of Seirin didn't look so happy as she exited the gym. He assumed it was something the foolish redhead said. _Seirin seemed to be falling apart because of him..._

He scuffed. _Well, she needed to realize sooner or later__ that it's the fate of a weak team._

* * *

"Okuma-chan..." the cat-like small forward stepped up to follow the girl, but Kuorko touched the older male's shoulder and shook his head. She just needed some air to clear her mind.

As the team watched Tomoko leave out the gym doors, Kagami punched the bench, seemingly mad at himself for driving her away.

"Damn it! I didn't mean..."

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko interjected his teammate, _his light._ He knows that Kagami didn't mean what he felt completely; it was the heat of the moment and the game was stressful—it was only logical to his hot-headed teammate to want to carry the team, but it wasn't any less heartbreaking. "I need to know that you're going to be willing to win _with_ the team. Okuma-san does too."

"I—"

"Because, no matter how many more points you have at the end of the game, if you're not happy, it's not victory."

Behind him, the seniors smiled. "That's right. It's not as though we want to lose!" Koganei chuckled and rubbed his head.

"We're just saying there's no reason for you to do it all yourself," Izuki continued as Hyuuga nodded.

Kagami, finally humbling down, berated himself mentally for doubting his team when they had so much trust in him, and for letting Tomoko down.

"Well, do you have any objections?" Hyuuga pressed.

"No, but... Well..." he replied choppily, ashamed. "Sorry. Of course I'd rather be happy when we win, together."

The phantom nodded, happy that he was finally able to calm the giant down.

"Then let's show Okuma-san that when she comes back," he said, taking his white shirt off to reveal his jersey.

"But what should we do?" the captain wondered, "Our situation hasn't changed..."

"There is one thing," Kuroko turned to face his team, having thought about what to do while sitting watch on the bench all third quarter. "I can only pass the ball... But I can take it up another level."

* * *

Tomoko puffed up her cheeks as she angrily vented her frustration out on the innocent vending machine. She was alone in the hallway, for everyone else was watching the game.

It was good that no one was there to witness her rage; kicking a vending machine while muttering incoherent words didn't exactly look normal.

"I can't believe him!" she huffed, pouting. Then she sighed. "I can't believe I just walked out on the team either... Ugh."

A hand came up from behind her and inserted a few coins into the machine and then pressed the button twice for the canned green-tea drink. Tomoko turned around and came face to face with Kise Ryouta.

"K-Kise-kun?" she said, surprised; she quickly got out of the way so the blonde could get his drinks. Kise bent down to retrieve the green teas and then handed one to her.

"Here. Green tea has a soothing effect," he said with a charming smile.

Tomoko blinked blankly before taking it. "You came to see the game!" she exclaimed, a small smile making its way to her lips. "But what are you doing out here?"

"Of course I did~ I wouldn't miss Kuma-cchi's team going against Midorima-cchi's for anything in the world!" Kise replied enthusiastically. _And I've been paying close attention..._ He sobered down as he remembered the real purpose for following the obviously sad girl. "I came out here because I'm worried about you."

Hiding her pouting lips from behind the can of green tea, she feigned innocence. "I'm completely fine."

Kise sighed. "Kuma-cchi, don't lie to me." He saw the confrontation that happened between the girl and her team, namely with the redhead. Something Kagami said had really set her off and caused her to be sad—and Kise didn't like to see a girl so down, not if he could help it.

"Come on, you can tell me. You're more beautiful when you're happy," he teased, pinching her cheek lightly. That caused Tomoko to laugh and Kise found his heart warming to the melodious sound.

"Okay..." she finally said, sitting down with him at a nearby bench. "I might have overreacted with Kagami back there, but it's just that—he was just... infuriating! He was being so selfish and not caring about what the rest of the team thought..." Tomoko squeezed the aluminum can in her hands, "Just because Midorima-kun is a strong opponent, he thinks that _he_ needed to be the one who does all the work. All he was thinking about was winning, not the team."

_That sounds like the Generation of Miracles... Like... Me, _he realized, knowing she didn't agree with their way of playing. Kise then thought back to that day after Kaijo and Seirin's practice match, about what he said to Kuroko at the park.

Kagami had a special ability and he was growing each day—he was right about the redhead's abilities setting him apart from the rest of the team, but somehow, he didn't want to admit that he was right about what he said anymore.

By meeting with Kuroko and watching how Seirin played during each game against opponents weak or strong, he was certain that the team's dynamics were only strengthening as each day passes. But he also knew that going against the Generation of Miracles was not easy; he himself was already a hard opponent for Kagami to beat—Midorima and the others was a whole different story. He wasn't certain that the redhead wouldn't break under the sheer power of the Miracles he has yet to meet.

_And who knows if he hasn't already broke under Midorima-cchi,_ Kise thought. Nevertheless, something in him wanted to believe in Seirin and in Kagami. He knows that Kuroko doesn't randomly pick someone he wants to shadow—Kagami really had the potential.

"Hey, do you remember what you told me at the park when I had said that Kagami would change?" Kise turned to ask Tomoko. The girl thought for a while and nodded slowly.

"Kagami values..." she replied, and with more energy, "...he values Seirin and basketball."

The blonde laughed and nodded. "I was surprised that day, having to realize that you had so much faith in him. I was even a little envious... But you know, I think you're right about him. Midorima-cchi is a really strong opponent, but I know now that Kagami-cchi won't abandon such an amazing team," he winked, "and plus I'm sure Kuroko-cchi punched some sense into him."

The caramel haired girl laughed again, having feeling much better with his encouraging words. "Thank you," she said, pulling him in to a tight hug as gratitude.

A warm blush spread across Kise's handsome face as he leaned to Tomoko's embrace. She was so warm and smelled so pleasant. "Kuma-cchi..." he never wanted this moment to end; unconsciously, he nuzzled his head between the crevice of of her soft, creamy neck.

_What is this feeling? I-It's so nice..._

He silently groaned when she let him go.

"I should go back to my team now," she grinned softly, standing up as she looked at the clock. The final quarter has already started; she couldn't afford to miss anymore because of her stubbornness. "Thanks for cheering me up, Kise-kun. I'll treat you to ice-cream as payback!"

He blinked.

"I-It's a date, then!" Kise stood up and called behind her after his initial shock, starry-eyed. Normally, when girls ask him to hang out, he would always decline politely because he had no desire to get their love struck hopes up, but this time it was different.

_She_ was different.

He was smiling and humming when he returned to his seat, to which his captain looked at him weirdly.

"...I don't even want to know what's wrong with you," Kasamatsu sighed.

* * *

_Instead of directing attention away from himself, Kuroko used the opposite misdirection instead, making Takao notice him._

Riko watched Kuroko maneuver around Takao flawlessly after directing his attention elsewhere and "disappeared." It was a good strategy that can keep Takao under Seirin's control, allowing more versatile movements for her team.

Now, even when the Shutoku point guard could jump between Izuki and Kagami to steal the ball, Kuroko could perform the "other level" of his passes—speed.

It was a surprise to everyone on the court, including Riko herself, when she witnessed the phantom powerfully palmed the ball to Kagami, who caught it perfectly.

"That couldn't have been easy..." Riko turned at the voice and sighed in relief when she saw Tomoko.

"Okuma-chan! I'm so glad you're back!" she said, smiling. Her team was recovering, and now with the manager back, they're finally one again.

"I'm sorry for walking out like that," Tomoko apologized, "it was rash and irresponsible of me."

"It was!" Riko nodded and reached over to pinch the girls cheek as punishment, causing her to yelp out in pain. "But Bakagami has calmed down since then and with you back, the party's really started," the older girl said, patting Tomoko's back. "After Kuroko-kun talked some sense back into him, he's trying harder than ever with the team."

"I'm glad," Tomoko said, rubbing her sour cheek while watching her team. She was genuinely happy to have the old Kagami back.

_T__hey're really turning this game around._

With less than three minutes left on the clock, Shutoku requested a time-out as Seirin caught up to their score.

76 to 78.

"Okuma-chan's back!" Koganei called when the team came back to the bench. He pushed Kagami towards the girl. "He has something to say to you, don't you, Kagami?" he grinned when the redhead grumbled and blushed, looking away.

"...I'm s-sorry... I was being selfish."

Tomoko brightened up at his apology. "Apology accepted, Taiga-chan!"

"They've made up..."

"What a relief!"

"Alright, enough of sappiness! We have control over the game right now," Riko said determinedly, breaking their attention back to the game. "Kagami can't jump anymore, but we still need to prevent them from scoring."

"Ah," Hyuuga glanced at the other team, "these last minutes are crucial, I can imagine they're going to depend on Midorima. We know where the ball is going... We just have to get the ball before it reaches him."

"And like always... I believe in you guys," Tomoko smiled. "Go get em'!"

When the whistle blew, both teams marched to the court.

It was go time.

Shutoku had the upperclassmen assisting in defense to prevent Seirin from scoring so Midorima can concentrate on shooting his threes; they were slowing down the pace, making the score freeze in place.

Then, with less than one minute left, Midorima got the ball and he scored—the gap widened to five points. But that changed when Hyuuga scored a three for Seirin as well and both team was in a deadlock with only 15 seconds left on the clock.

_It's another tug-of-war of scoring! _Tomoko thought.

"Otsubo is marking Hyuuga!" she heard Riko say, the coach's eyes narrowing worriedly. "If he doesn't make the three then the game will be over...!"

Kagami made a weak screen so Hyuuga could manage to get by, but it still wasn't enough to allow him to close in to the three-point line. "He's going to have to shoot from where he is," Tomoko supplied, "or there's not going to be enough time!"

Tomoko and the rest all held their breaths as Hyuuga jumped, releasing the ball.

_Please, make it!_

Two more seconds passed and the audience roared as the score was pulled up 82 to 81. "I don't believe it!"

"Seirin won with three seconds left!"

_Wait..._ It felt oddly like deja vu to Tomoko. This felt like the same situation in the beginning of the first quarter when Midorima had scored the first three-pointer, seemingly determining the flow of the game. But then he underestimated Kuroko's strength as the teen made the speedy pass to Kagami...

It clicked; _where's Takao-kun?! _She widened her eyes when she spotted the ravenette, who was just reaching for the ball. "We haven't won yet! Stop Takao-kun!" she shouted just as he passed the ball to the awaiting hands of Midorima.

"Shit!" Kagami cursed, also realizing the mirroring situation. "Midorima!" He was going to end the game with a buzzer beater; with Kagami unable to jump, there was no one stopping him.

"He caught everyone by surprise," Riko cried, "Kagami-kun can't jump anymore!"

"No, he's going to jump," Tomoko breathed, noticing his legs were tensing up again. She knew he could overcome his limits and do the impossible, but she just didn't know if it was the right decision or not.

_I believe in Kagami._

Midorima faked.

He had also believed Kagami would jump. Two seconds left and the green haired player jumped into the air again, just as Kagami was coming down from his initial jump.

_Have faith... _Tomoko chanted like a mantra, her eyes shut. _Have faith in your team!_

_BAM!_

She reopened her eyes. There were gasps from the court as the ball flew out of Midorima's hands—not towards the net, but rather the ground. It was the phantom who saw through the fake and came just in time.

He saved the score.

_He also..._

"Kuroko-kun!" she cried with a broad smile. The clenching of her heart was released and she ran towards her team as the end of the game buzzer sounded.

_...Believed._

* * *

Momoi Satsuki clicked her phone shut after she received the much anticipated message from one of her sources.

"Looks like I was right; Tetsu-kun won against Midorin."

Her sleepy companion merely let out a low hum at her announcement and continued to doze off. Momoi sighed at his unresponsiveness. She had barely stayed long enough to see the game between Seirin and Shutoku before she got a call from Sakurai, who shakily told her that Aomine had yet again skipped their game and she was forced to come back to find her lazy childhood friend.

It wasn't hard to do; she had found him in Touou Academy's empty auditorium, where she knew he would at and had stayed with him when she couldn't convince him to play. Poking the tanned male on the forehead, she tried to wake him up.

"Aomine-kun, You can't fake sick every time we have a game, you know."

"Hm?" Aomine grumbled. "I told you, it's too much work."

"We're going to be playing against Tetsu-kun in the championship league, so you shouldn't skip that," Momoi replied, kicking her legs childishly from her spot on the edge of the wooden stage. She vaguely remembered seeing a red-headed male who played very well, so she'll have to do some more research on the team before their game. "Tetsu-kun is the love of my life, but I can't go against my own team~ Who do I cheer for in the championship league?"

Aomine rolled over before hoisting himself up in a sitting position. "What nonsense are you spewing about now, Satsuki?"

"Oh, I should call Midorin!" she replied, somehow having the topic come up between her self-conflict about choosing teams. "I haven't talked to him since middle school!"

Scrolling down her contacts until she reached the horoscope lover's number, she clicked 'call' and waited for the line to pick up. She hummed while she waited; it rang for quite a while before the other line finally clicked.

_"Yes?"_

"Midorin!" she squealed happily, "It's great to talk to you again! How are you feeling? I heard Tetsu-kun won, but don't feel too down about it~! Do you still listen to Oha Asa? Did she predict that Aquarius—"

_"—Beep—"_

The pink haired girl blinked. "Eh?" she glanced down at her phone, the sign 'CALL ENDED' flashed before her. She pouted, "Mou, Midorin hung up on me."

Aomine rolled his eyes and yawned. "You're too obnoxious."

She huffed, handing him her phone. "You call him then! I was just trying to get some information on Seirin's style from Midorin since we'll be playing them soon..."

"That's unnecessary," he yawned again, though he took the phone anyway since he did want to have a talk with his green haired ex-teammate. A smirk crossed his tanned features.

"The only one who can beat me is me."

* * *

_"Okuma-chan is like a bear (kuma), always so friendly and full of hugs—but when time comes she's threatening enough to keep Bakagami in line."_

_-Aida Riko_

* * *

**Review?**


	11. The Differences Between Them

EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR Y'ALL! I made this chapter slightly longer than the rest 'cause I was feeling inspired. I hope you're all excited because it's time for the great perverted idiot, Aomine to make an appearance and woo Tomoko! Please enjoy this chapter and happy holidays~

P.s. I'm curious, which ships are you guys rooting for?

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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_Midorima-kun just up and left..._

After the line-up, the two teams went their separate ways and before Tomoko could have a chance to talk to the green haired miracle, he had disappeared.

_Oh well, maybe I'll meet him again soon. _She sighed and smiled. Seirin did extremely well today; she couldn't be prouder. Playing against two kings was exhausting, however, and it showed with the groaning teens slumped together and trying to relieve their sore muscles.

"I-I don't think I c-can move... Or e-even stand..." a certain redhead wailed from the corner.

Poking Kagami in the leg and causing him to yelp in pain, Tomoko jumped away instinctively to avoid being pummeled by the redhead. Although, it didn't look like he could move very far anyway.

"What the hell, brat!" he yelled.

"Sorry Taiga-chan," she apologized with a cute grin, "but that was my little retaliation for you being so stubborn earlier."

He huffed and said no more; he deserved it, after all.

_I'm thankful to have the old you back, though._

"It's time to go guys," Riko called as she gathered the team's items. "You all look like zombies."

"Eh... We'll be fine after we rest for a few minutes... It's Kagami I'm concerned about," Hyuuga said while looking at said teen withering in pain, and he smiled softly. "He pushed himself too hard."

"We can't stay here forever, though," Riko sighed. She reached into the bag that Mrs. Okuma had brought and handed out umbrellas to her team. "Hm, how about we go to the nearest restaurant?"

At the mention of food, Tomoko perked up. "Good idea!" she said, already feeling her mouth watering. The brunette nodded and opened the locker room door, beckoning her team to follow.

"Alright, someone carry Kagami-kun and let's go."

* * *

The team spotted an okonomiyaki restaurant not long after walking through the light rain. Thanks to the umbrellas, they stayed dry.

Most of them did, at least.

"Damn you, Kuroko..." Kagami grumbled as they reached the restaurant's entrance. The left shoulder of his basketball jacket was completely smeared in mud.

"Sorry, you're too heavy," Kuroko replied without much of an expression.

"I told you I could help," Tomoko pouted, not understanding why the male was so mad even when she offered to carry him with her blue haired friend when he lost the game of rock, paper, scissors. Kagami was probably the weight of both her and the phantom combined! "You wouldn't have fallen off if I was holding your other side!" She lifted her arm to show off what she deemed as biceps once again.

"You don't have any," the redhead growled tiredly. He eyed the rest of his team walking ahead of him inside the aroma-filled restaurant, a small hope that the perky manager will be distracted with the sight of food.

"How about I lend you my jacket then?"

He nearly slapped himself on the face with that atrocious suggestion. "Oi—!" he stopped her from taking off her navy blazer before anyone could give them weird looks.

"I'll lend you mine," Kuroko piped from besides him, getting ready to take his jacket off as well. Kagami gave the two a frustrated look.

"I'm fine; I don't need anyone's jacket!"

His loud exclamation garnered the attention of a few tables from the lively restaurant and caused one particular table seating two Kaijo students to turn around. "Kise and Kasamatsu!" Kagami called in surprise upon seeing the familiar basketball players.

"No honorifics?!" they heard the Kaijo captain yelled in offense.

"Kuroko-cchi! Kuma-cchi!" Kise greeted happily, setting down his fork to wave at the duo.

_Is he ignoring me?!_ Kagami thought, eyebrows ticking.

Tomoko walked up to the blonde with Kuroko following close behind. "Kise-kun, Kasa-kun!" she beamed.

"Oh, you guys know each other?" the store owner came up to them with a relieved smile. "You three can sit with these young gentlemen then and we'll have enough tables in the back for the rest of your team."

Thus, Kagami found himself sitting at the same table as the two Kaijo players. He was sitting at the edge of the table while Kuroko took the seat next to Kise and Tomoko sat next to the blonde's captain.

There was an awkward silence looming over the table; Kasamatsu continued to eat his okonomiyaki without paying much attention to anyone else while Kise stared at his new table-mates. He of course didn't mind that his middle school friend and Tomoko was sitting with him, but there was tension between him and the ace of Seirin.

The silence was soon broken when the salmon eyed manager mused over the menu to find what she wanted to order. "Ah~ Should I order the pork belly or octopus? I'm so hungry I feel like I can eat everything!"

Kise perked up and sprung into action. "Kuma-cchi, I'll share mine with you while you wait~!"

"Really?" her eyes sparkled with unspeakable appreciation. At his consent, she grabbed a scrapper fork and was about to dig in when the blonde suddenly took a forkful himself slipped it in her mouth. Her eyes widened slightly as she chewed and swallowed. "It's really good!" she praised, not at all minding that the blonde had just fed her.

Someone else did, though.

"Here—" Kise raised his hand again, but an emotionless stare from the blue haired teen beside him stopped him momentarily. "Eh... Kuroko-cchi?"

"Kise-kun," the teen in question deadpanned. "It's quite bothersome that your arm keeps reaching across the table," he said before returning his gaze to the menu in front of him.

The blonde scratched his head nervously; sometimes the phantom was scary when he didn't show any expressions. With a silent laugh, Tomoko took a scoop and suddenly turned to her blue haired friend.

"Kuroko-kun, say 'ah'!"

"Huh?" He was met with the savory okonomiyaki coming towards his mouth, the delicious pancake almost melting in his taste buds.

"There! It's good, isn't it?"

"No fair, Kuma-cchi! I want to be fed too!"

"You're too loud, Kise-kun."

_Damn kids,_ Kagami noted with a roll of his eyes, watching a whining Kise and a satisfied-looking Kuroko. The girl herself reverted back to happily chomping down on the seafood okonomiyaki.

He grumbled and went back to focusing on what ingredient combination he wanted to order.

"Excuse me!" a voice called from the front of the restaurant. A familiar ravenette walked in, and behind him was his green haired companion. "Sir, do you have two..."

"Takao-kun! Midorima-kun!" Tomoko exclaimed happily when she saw the two. _I knew I'll meet them again!_ "You guys are here to eat too?! Where's the others?" she titled her head when the rest of Shutoku didn't follow behind them.

Takao chuckled, "We lost the upperclassmen while Shin-chan was crying."

"Oi!" His bespectacled companion looked pissed and turned to storm out of the restaurant. "We're going somewhere else!"

"Hold on!" the caramel haired manager called, "Stay and eat with us! It might rain again." Just as she finished her sentence, thunder rolled and a powerful gust of wind brought on a wave of showers.

"Eh, we might as well," Takao grinned once again. He looked over at the male sitting next to Tomoko and exclaimed loudly, "Are you Kaijo's Kasamatsu-san? I saw you in _Basketball Monthly_!" he came over and dragged the Kaijo captain away to the table where the rest of Seirin sat. "Let's go talk over there~! You're nationally famous as a strong point guard! Wow, as someone who plays the same position, I'd love to hear your stories!"

Midorima's eye visibly twitched as now he had no choice but to sit with his old teammates, the redhead, and the overly-bubbly manager.

_Wow, the tension between them is ridiculous..._ The rest of Seirin (saved for Riko, who looked oddly excited) thought as they eyed the awkward table._ Good luck, Okuma-chan!_

"I'm so glad you're joining us, Midorima-kun!" Tomoko flashed her new table neighbor her lopsided smile and picked up a grilled shrimp, "You can't possibly want to leave on an empty stomach when you _see food._"

A few seconds passed by as the four males stared unblinkingly at the caramel haired girl. Then, not able to keep it in anymore, Kise burst out laughing.

"That—That was—!"

"Don't encourage her," Kagami warned, rubbing his temples.

"That was super cute, Kuma-cchi!" the blonde cried enthusiastically. If it weren't for the table being a barrier, he would have reached over and cuddled her.

Midorima merely turned up his nose and looked the other way.

But because of Tomoko, the tense atmosphere between them cleared a little. "Let's order. I'm hungry," Kuroko said and motioned for the waiter to come by. The redhead immediately started to list off each food item he wanted to include in his okonomiyaki.

* * *

While the rest were enjoying their savory pancakes, Tomoko found herself staring at the green haired miracle. His fingers, like she's seen many times before, were tapped up once again.

"Do you need something?" Midorima asked when he felt her eyes on him for some time.

"You don't lack confidence, do you?" she asked out of the blue. It wasn't likely, since the male seemed to have a sense of superiority over his peers. However, that was the only explanation she had for why he was so reliant on horoscope readings and lucky items.

_I can't tell what he's thinking... _

"What are you implying?"

"You're an excellent player, Midorima-kun," Tomoko explained with admiration. "Not many people can score as much or as well as you do. You have the experience and talent that gives you an advantage in each game you play; however, I don't understand why you think that it's fate and lucky items that control whether you win or not."

The green haired miracle paused the cutting of his okonomiyaki. There was a look of incredulity in his emerald eyes. "Man proposes, God disposes. I am a man that proposes, I always carry my lucky item of the day with me as my horoscope said. That's why my shots never miss."

"I think you just feel uneasy when you don't have your lucky item and that uneasiness causes you to_ think_ that you cannot control your fate," Tomoko told him matter-of-factly. "You make your shots because you practice."

"Nonsense," he denied. "Like I said, Man proposes, God disposes."

_Honestly..._

She couldn't imagine how having the mindset of being predestined to win or lose can contribute to the enjoyment of the game. "How is that fun?" she wondered aloud.

Midorima looked at the pouting manager quietly before adverting his gaze. Perhaps there was a time he did enjoy basketball, but it wasn't the case anymore. "I am not playing basketball to have fun."

A giggle.

"I don't think that's true, Midorima-kun."

He raised his brow. "Hn?"

"I love watching my team play because Kuroko-kun, Taiga-chan, and the rest of the seniors always give it their all; and from today's game, I can see that you do too. It has to be fun, right? After all, you didn't give up," Tomoko smiled brightly, "You can't give your all to something you don't enjoy."

"That's true," Kise suddenly piped, a serene smile etched on his face. "Lately, I've been thinking that it's pretty fun playing basketball with the guys from Kaijo."

"See, even Kise-kun agrees," Tomoko beamed. "And he was pretty arrogant when I first met him!"

"Mou, so mean, Kuma-cchi~"

"We were all like that back then," Kuroko said softly, memories of the first two years of Teiko came back to him like a slideshow. "We all had fun."

Kagami, who had been listening to the whole conversation despite busying himself with the large pile of food, snorted inwardly. "You guys think too much; of course we play basketball because it's fun. Plus with someone like the brat here reminding me everyday, it's hard to forget," he said as he glanced at the caramel haired girl. In turn, she flashed him a thumbs up and a wink.

Midorima watched them curiously. He didn't particularly want to agree with what either of them said, although Okuma Tomoko's words got him thinking.

_"You can't give your all to something you don't enjoy."_

Her bright salmon eyes had held so much conviction and belief in him, it made him soften his views about her by a little.

_Perhaps it is true._

* * *

"Why did you insist on leaving so early?" Takao said as he got on the bicycle. He was going to disregard the fact that he had accidentally flipped his okonomiyaki onto the horoscope lover's head. He grinned, "Ah, never mind that. Did you have a nice talk with your old teammates?"

"Hn."

The ravenette started pedaling and continued. "What about Kagami or Tomo-chan?"

"You made me sit with them on purpose," Midorima replied. He didn't sound particularly mad about it, so Takao took it as a good sign.

"Maybe," he chuckled. "Hey, do you think that Tomo-chan is dating Kuroko? Or maybe Kagami?"

Of course, with his keen observation skills he knew that the girl wasn't dating either. However, there was some kind of connection the two players in Seirin had for her, whether Tomoko herself knew it or not.

Okuma Tomoko has a very charismatic personality; he could even tell that the blonde from Kaijo seemed to regard her as someone special.

Now it was just the question of whether his friend thinks the same or not.

"Why does that concern me?" He heard Midorima scuff.

"It doesn't, really!" Takao hummed in amusement, letting the bike and cart free-roll down the brightly-lit streets of Tokyo. A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. "I'm just thinking that I ship Tomo-chan with Kuroko more~ How about you, Shin-chan?"

"...Shut up and pedal."

.

_eleven_

**the differences between them**

.

Having secured their position in the Inter-High championship league, Seirin overcame their difficult practice tests and resumed practice.

However...

"Taiga-chan can't do anything until his legs heal," Tomoko pouted, talking to the newest addition on team Seirin. _I wouldn't have irritated his leg the other day if I knew how bad it was!_

"Arf!" the husky pup, Tetsuya Number 2, seemingly replied. She fluffed up his black and white fur, giving him a messy bed-head look.

When Kuroko found the puppy abandoned in a box that night after Seirin came out of the okonomiyaki restaurant, she had a deep desire to bring the puppy home; however, her parents would never allow it. In the end, Kuroko adopted him and the team named him Tetsuya Number 2 (they bore strikingly similar resemblances). Not wanting to part with the cute canine, Tomoko made the blue haired teen promise to bring him in for their practices on the weekends.

The team adored Number 2, but with Kagami it was another story.

"I can't believe you're scared of dogs," Tomoko laughed as she scooted closer to Kagami on the bench that faced the pool. He immediately moved a few feet away to avoid contact with the puppy in her arms. "C'mon, you can't be serious about not liking Number 2!"

Kagami seemed to have been struck with some energy depleting force as he weakly muttered, "Y-Yes..."

"Okay, take a one minute break!" Riko called as she blew the final whistle. The team was currently working on pool squats to strengthen their leg muscles.

Thankful for the short break, Izuki and the rest stopped and tried to catch their breath. It didn't look like it, but underwater exercises were a lot harder than regular exercises. Kuroko was to the point of giving up as he let his body float lifelessly in the water.

"Keep up the good work!" Tomoko called, encouraging the team as the one minute quickly passed and they were forced to continue.

"Arf arf!" Number 2 barked in agreement.

The guys sighed gratefully; though their manager wasn't wearing any swimwear, her shorts and a cute lace top showed off her figure quite well and they relished in being cheered on by such a cute female.

"What a cute dog~" a feminine voice spoke from across the indoor pool area, attracting the attention of the males. A girl with long, flowing pink hair walked in, only clad in a bikini and unzipped white jacket. She flipped her hair back and smiled at the team.

A chorus of amazed _"__oh"s_ resounded across the pool. _A-Another cute girl! No, she's s-sexy!_

Kuroko blinked. "Momoi-san..."

Shock flashed across each of the upperclassmen's faces; Koganei stared especially at him with disbelief. How did the phantom know this busty female?!

Riko, upon seeing the pink haired girl's..._ample_ bust, questioned the stranger's business with her team with slight annoyance. "Who are you?"

"Um, how should I put this?" The girl, Momoi Satsuki, shifted her body one foot to another in a reserved manner before smiling again. "I'm Tetsu-kun's girlfriend. I couldn't wait for the championship league, so I came here."

Blink.

Blink.

"Tetsu-kun...?" Riko asked in confusion. Why was it so familiar?

"Kuroko Tetsuya-kun."

"W-W-WHAAAAAAAAT?!"

From the bench, Tomoko tilted her head in question, as did Number 2, while the rest of the team went up to Kuroko and fought to ask him their suspicions and inquiries. _Couldn't wait for the championship league...? Does that mean she's from the team we're going against next? Wait..._

"Kuroko-kun has a girlfriend?" she wondered aloud, genuinely curious now.

"She was my manager in middle school," Kuroko merely explained, coming out of the pool. The pink haired girl perked up when she saw him and ran up to hug him.

"Tetsu-kun!" she cried happily, "It's good to see you again! I miss you~!" Intentional or not, the sight of her big chest pushing up against the teen's arm did not go unnoticed by the rest of the team.

"I can't breathe, Momoi-san," he deadpanned. That caused an uproar within the envious males.

"I don't know what's going on!"

"I'm unbelievably jealous, Kuroko!"

"Kuroko, you lucky bastard!"

"Wait!" Koganei spoke up in the midst of the hormonal teens, "Why Kuroko? He's dull and invisible and boring."

The girl turned to the catlike teen. "Eh? That's what's so good about him! But, isn't the way he becomes a different person when he plays striking?" she blushed, looking at her beloved in an affectionate way as she continued down memory lane about a Popsicle.

Meanwhile, on the task of passing out towels to her team (and not understanding much about the situation in front of her), Tomoko could wholly agree on what Momoi said about the phantom being a different person when he plays."You _are_ striking when playing on the court!" she told him thoughtfully when handing him a towel.

"Thank you," Kuroko took both the towel and compliment with gratitude.

"Hm, you must be the manager for Seirin, Okuma Tomoko," Momoi suddenly said, coming back over to the two. Tomoko blinked.

"Have we met before?"

"Not at all~" the pink haired girl said slyly, but then her mouth pulled down into a small frown. "Do you like Tetsu-kun?" Not knowing that the girl meant a _different_ kind of like, Tomoko readily nodded her head.

"Of course I do!" She didn't understand why Momoi looked so sad when she said it, but merely shrugged it off and continued her questioning. "Anyway, how do you know me?"

With the question the ex-Teiko manager reverted back to her cheerful self again and let out a giggle. "Oh, I know all of you. There's the Seirin basketball club captain and clutch shooter, Hyuuga-san. The eagle-eye point guard, Izuki-san. The silent and hard working hook shooter, Mitobe-san. The power forward with the incredible jumping power, Kagami-kun," she listed off before addressing the last three. "Also Koganei-san and Tsuchida-san. And finally..."

Riko twitched in suspicion when the girl turned to her. "The barely-B coach, Riko-san."

_W-What?! What the hell is her problem!_ she screamed internally. The look on the her face was absolutely murderous. _AHHHGGG!_

"C-Calm down, coach!" Koganei and Mitobe had to hold on to to each arm to prevent any bloodshed. One _does not_ talk about the size of the brunette's chest without repercussions.

"I'm going to—!"

"Captain, do something!"

"W-What? What can I do?!"

Ignoring all of the commotion, Kuroko wanted to ask the pink haired girl something that has been on his mind for a while. "Momoi-san, did you really go to Aomine-kun's school?" _How is he? _

Momoi's expression saddened.

"Yeah... I really wanted to go to school with you, Tetsu-kun," she said softly, "but who knows what he'll do if I don't watch him?"

Understanding what she meant, Kuroko's blue eyes hardened. He turned to Riko and his teammates, making them quiet down when they saw his more-serious-than-normal look.

"Sorry, but will it be okay if I talk to Momoi-san privately?"

* * *

Tomoko hugged Tetsuya Number 2 to her chest as she walked away from the Aida's training gym. Since Kuroko requested to talk alone with his old manager, Riko declared practice to be adjourned for the time being. The team was glad to be relieved of the strenuous exercises and to not have to worry about a disaster waiting to happen if the coach had stayed with the busty pink haired girl any longer.

"That was interesting, wasn't it Number 2?" she ruffled the husky pup's head as they passed the gates.

_Kuroko-kun wanted to be alone..._

If anyone asked her how she felt about the ex-Teiko manager, she would have said that she respected the girl for managing such a strong team back in middle school.

"Arf! Arf!" Number 2 barked happily and jumped out of her arms. His small tail wagged energetically as he bounced around her legs. Tomoko giggled and crouched to get on eye-level with the pup.

_I wonder what they're talking about._

"It's just you and I for the time being, then. Where do you want to go?"

Number 2 blinked adorably.

"I know!" Salmon eyes lit up with an idea. "Let's go find Taiga-chan and we can go eat at Maji Burger!"

"Arf!"

The redhead in question, had, as soon as practice let out, left quickly to get away from the husky to avoid himself the discomfort. Tomoko knew that he has been brooding ever since he got that leg injury; she could only imagine that he was getting pretty restless from not being permitted to play ball.

With that said, there was a public basketball court not too far from where Seirin trained, so perhaps she could find him there. As much as she wanted to give the head-strong male all of her support, an injured leg should not be taken lightly.

Tomoko pouted. "If he's playing basketball when he's not suppose to, I swear I'm banning him from snacks during practice for a whole month…!"

While in her own thoughts, Number 2 seemed to have picked up something with his canine hearing. Black pointy ears perked up towards the direction of the distraction and without hesitating, the pup dashed away.

"W-Wait!" Tomoko gasped, standing up in surprise as the dog ran away from her. "Come back!" she called and ran after the barks before it got too distant. The pup ran until he was a few yards up ahead, suddenly stopping for a second as his tail wagged uncontrollably.

_He's stopping!_ the girl panted and tried to catch her breath. But it didn't last long as the pup started to move again, this time disappearing around the corner street.

_Ahhh, where is he going?!_

Tomoko picked up her pace and rounded the corner, fearful that she had lost Number 2 for good. However, the sight of the husky pup happily barking and licking a stranger (who must have been the source of the distraction) gave her relief.

She walked up to the stranger and pup. Number 2 looked at her with wide puppy eyes and tongue sticking out satisfyingly. "Don't run off like that," she lightly chided, tapping the puppy on the nose.

"Eh, so he's yours?"

A voice, low and masculine, inquired with boredom. Looking up, Tomoko saw that the stranger was male and was little under a foot taller than her, with a tanned muscular physique and striking navy hair that matched his eyes.

* * *

Aomine Daiki was walking down the street when the husky ran up to him, barking and making a ruckus. He had thought it was a stray before someone followed behind—whatever the case, the dog was rather friendly with him for some reason.

"This little guy is my friend's dog; thanks for catching him," the girl before him said with a smile. "He seems to like you a lot!"

The husky pup yawned and trotted around Aomine's legs, blinking up at him with his blank sapphire eyes. A smirk flashed across the male's face, "He looks like someone I used to know."

"What a coincident!" the salmon eyed girl laughed, "I think Number 2 looks like someone I know too—in fact, he's Number 2's owner!"

"Number 2?" he chuckled at the unusual name. He scratched the pup's head once before focusing his navy eyes on the girl. "What a weird…"

He paused.

"Hm?" she tilted her head to the side at his half-finished sentence.

At her cute expression, Aomine's hand came up to hide half of his reddening face, fingers twitching. He hadn't noticed her appearance earlier, so now it was throwing him off guard.

The girl's eyes were pink and peculiar, a bit different from Momoi's. It was lighter, but it held twice the intensity. Her eyes also made her look a little playful while still giving off an innocent air; her long hair cascading down her shoulders, long creamy legs, and slender build—they all fitted his ideal female image, and… His eyes zeroed in on her chest area.

_C-cup._

It didn't compare to his beloved gravure model, Mai-chan, but…

_She ain't bad,_ he concluded.

Coming here to check out Seirin had been entirely to Momoi's excitement and his chagrin (he had been extra annoyed when the pink haired girl decided to run off by herself), but it suddenly didn't seem like such chore anymore.

"What's weird?" Her question drew him back reality and Aomine's lips quirked up into a roguish smirk.

"Ah, nothin'. But I think you're right, this guy likes me."

The girl picked up the husky pup. "Number 2 gets along with everybody," she said with a wide grin. A flash of pensiveness showed on her features, "Well, everyone but Taiga-chan."

The name _Taiga_ sounded familiar to the navy haired teen, but his mind wasn't completely devoted on finding the connection.

"Can't please everyone," Aomine replied amusingly at her ever changing expressions. "Are ya busy going somewhere?" He noted that she looked like she was probably heading somewhere before the pup ran loose.

"Oh, yeah, I wanted to find Taiga-chan so we can go to Maji Burger!"

At the mention of the fast food joint, Aomine perked up. Being dragged around by Momoi made him hungry; he figured this would be a good chance to get a bite to eat.

"Maji Burger sounds good. I'm starving," he boldly draped his toned arm around the shorter girl's shoulder, showing off his sharp canines. "Why don't you come with me?"

The sudden contact caught her by surprise and a small blush crept up her cheeks. She immediately blinked it away and maneuvered out of his lax hold, the look of confusion shown through her raised eyebrows and curious eyes. "Huh? You want me to go with you? Why?"

Aomine grinned. "'Cause you're cute."

* * *

_Wow. _

Tomoko watched as the navy haired teen sat down with a tray loaded with cheeseburgers. The pile was tantamount to what she was used to seeing Kagami consume.

"That's a lot of protein!" she laughed, remembering she once said that to her red headed friend. Being too friendly and clueless as she always was, she agreed to the tanned male's offer to accompany him to eat. However, she did manage to call Kagami just before they got to Maji Burger and made him promise that he'll come to the fast food restaurant.

The redhead had begrudgingly agreed after she threatened to tell Riko-san that he was secretly trying to play basketball behind her back.

"You're a lot like Taiga-chan," she mused as she watched the male stuff his face with a burger. _He eats the exact same way. _

"Hrmph?" he swallowed before questioning, "Your friend?"

"Yeah," Tomoko nodded. "You both have bottomless stomachs! Hey, you and Taiga-chan could enter in an eating contest!"

Aomine blinked. He's never met another person who could eat as much as him, saved for Murasakibara with his sweets, nevertheless a girl—this _Taiga-chan__—_that the caramel haired girl keeps on comparing him to.

"Ha, I'd like to meet your friend," he chuckled before taking another bite of his burger.

"You'll see him soon enough," Tomoko smiled, slipping a piece of bacon to Number 2 who was sitting patiently under the table.

"'Him?'"

"Mhmm," she looked up at his bewildered expression. "By the way, I never got your name. I'm Okuma Tomoko!"

Her smile was contagious; Aomine found himself grinning back at her. Just as he was about to introduce himself, though, Number 2's bark cut him off as a redhead walked towards them.

"Eh!" The redhead jolted and sported a look of horror at the sight of the husky. "D-Damn it, brat! If I knew you brought him..."

The perky manager flashed the newcomer a brilliant smile as she greeted him. "Taiga-chan~ You can't avoid Number 2 forever, he's part of the team!"

Kagami gave her and the dog a wary glare before landing his attention on the unfamiliar tanned teen. "Who the hell are you?" he raised his brows.

The dark haired male had a look of both incredulity and realization at the sudden presence of the redhead. 'Taiga-chan' turned out to be someone he has heard about after all.

To say he was surprise that the cute girl he bumped into knew someone from the team Touou would be playing at the championship league didn't quite explain what he felt at the moment, but if Midorima was here, the bespectacled male would surely be spewing his crap about _destiny_ and _fate_. Anyway, when he recovered from shock, his cold navy eyes narrowed deliberately into a menacing glare.

"You're Kagami Taiga," he assessed.

Tomoko blinked, staring between her friend and the male she just met today. "You know Taiga-chan?" It was strange, but then again, there's been stranger things. "...Did you come with Momoi-san?" she asked in a hunch, having a feeling that she knew who he was.

The tanned male's lips gradually switched upwards into his trademark smirk. "I see you've met Satsuki then," he said, realizing that she must have gotten to the team when she left him. "You said your name was Okuma, right?" he chuckled, "Shame you're with Seirin, I was starting to like you."

"What is shameful about it?" she retorted with a frown. "Seirin is amazing."

"Eh," he shrugged lazily.

"Enough with that pointless talk," Kagami interrupted with a glower. He didn't appreciate what the navy haired male was implying about Seirin, nor what he said to Tomoko. "Tell me your name."

A smirk. "It's Aomine Daiki."

_"Aomine Daiki. He's strong, but his style of basketball... I don't like it." _Kuroko's words echoed from the back of Tomoko's mind. She figured; the tanned male was the former ace of Teiko, now the ace of Touou.

"Say, since you're here, why don't you play me in basketball?" he stood up, sizing up on Kagami. "I'll test you."

"I've heard of you... Aomine Daiki," Kagami growled. "But you can't expect me to just say yes when you talk down on Seirin like you're somethin' special."

"You scared?" Aomine gave out a dry laugh. "I told you, it'll be a test. I'm not looking for something that doesn't exist, like a stronger player than myself. I just want to know how much you can do to relieve my boredom."

_He's not like the same person I bumped into on the street..._ Tomoko stared at the tanned male with scrutiny. _His aura is scary... Deadly. _

And this _test_ he wanted to do... She didn't have a good feeling about it at all.

She sensed the redhead beside her tense up. "The Generation of Miracles is full of guys who piss me off. But you're exceptional even among them," Kagami glared at Aomine with fire in his eyes.

"Taiga-chan..." Tomoko pulled on the redhead's sleeve, trying to prevent him from doing anything rash. "Your legs haven't healed yet, don't do stupid things!"

"Arf!" Number 2 barked.

Kagami's hand clamped onto her head, eyes twitching irritably. "Are you implying that I can't win, brat? I'll crush him."

"If you're going to be stubborn again, then I'm playing with you!" she declared with a pout.

"You can't even catch the ball," he snorted.

"Can too!" Tomoko's cheeks puffed up adorably at his insult, "Even I'll be able to beat you with that leg injury."

"Do you even know how to handle a basketball? I doubt you can shoot!"

"...You don't know that!"

Aomine watched the two exchange stubborn banter and couldn't help but feel annoyed that he was being ignored. "Oi," he called, his eyes lingered on the caramel haired girl before turning to address Kagami.

"Play me," he demanded, any hint of the laid-back attitude had escaped his being. _I'll show you why your light is too dim for Tetsu._

* * *

_He said he used to be Kuroko-kun's 'light'..._

A melodious tone rang while the caramel haired manager was resting on her bed later that night, trying to do her English homework, even though her mind was elsewhere.

Nonetheless, she was glad for a distraction stop all these swirling thoughts in her mind.

"Hello?" she answered the ringing phone.

"Kuma-cchi!" Kise's silvery voice chirped through the phone. Tomoko blinked in surprise; the blonde had never called her before, it was always just text messages. "I heard Kagami-cchi and Aomine-cchi played ball together today!"

"They did," Tomoko pushed her English assignment off of her bed, deciding that it'll have to wait until she was actually in the mood to do it. "How did you know?"

"I heard from Momo-cchi! How did it go?"

"It..." she thought back to earlier in the day. After Aomine revealed who he was and provoked Kagami into playing a game of ball with him, she followed the two to the court so she could keep an eye on the rash redhead. Like she expected, it didn't go well with the injured male, but it wasn't just the injury that hindered him. By the end she had to drag the obstinate redhead away so he wouldn't overexert his muscles further.

Aomine Daiki was scary good... She couldn't even imagine what a monstrous pair him and the phantom made in Teiko.

"Kise-kun, something happened between Aomine Daiki and Kuroko-kun in middle school, right?"

"Eh?" Kise sounded surprised at her question. "Why do you ask?"

"He said said something during the game, like he was sour at Kuroko-kun for picking Kagami to be his partner," she explained, leaning against the wall with her knees drawn up to her chest. "I don't know why, but the way Aomine-kun played scared me. He looked so resentful... and _bored._"

Kise sighed in understanding before he spoke up. "They had a fallout towards the end of middle school. Kuroko-cchi told you that he left the team before our championship game, right?" He sounded upset; he must have felt betrayed back then by the blue haired phantom. "We were all pretty confused, angry even. Aomine-cchi just took it harder than all of us because he was the closest to him. They were partners, you know, just like Kuroko-cchi is to Kagami-cchi now... Anyway, the main thing was that Aomine-cchi changed."

"It was that bad?" she was almost afraid to ask.

"No one could beat Aomine-cchi; he loved basketball more than anyone in the world and he was the strongest player I've ever seen. However... Because of that, he grew too strong and without any rivals, he got bored of basketball."

_That's why Kuroko-kun was so devastated... To have a close friend and partner go from loving basketball to getting bored of it... That's agonizing._

Tomoko frowned. To her, it sounded completely unreasonable that anyone would think like the navy haired ace. The Generation of Miracles were an anomaly of their own when it came to basketball, but having so much power to the point of turning something enjoyable into a chore—to Tomoko, she felt that the title for the geniuses sounded more like a demotion.

"Generation of idiots," she muttered lowly, though Kise picked it up.

"Kuma-cchi! Do you really think we're idiots?" he whined. "You sound like Kasamatsu-senpai!"

"I do," she huffed, but a smile tugged at her lips. The championship game was going to take place in a few days, and she was ready. "All that nonsense you guys are always saying about winning and victory means nothing if you don't put your heart into it. Basketball should be fun! Seirin is great in that way; they all value the real purpose of basketball, which is enjoying the victory with friends. To the people who don't believe us, we will make everyone make a run for their money!"

Kise sighed happily. She was simply too cute when she was fired up and being protective of her team. Though, he wished he was at the receiving end of it. "I'm jealous, Kuma-cchi~"

"Jealous? Why?" Tomoko giggled, though she was confused. "I'm simply telling the members of the Generation of Miracles that I think their basketball principles are utter schmuck. I've told you that as well."

"Ah... Nevermind~" he replied with exasperation, remembering the time when she declared 'war' on him.

"You're sort of weird, Kise-kun."

"W-Weird?!" he sounded alarmed. "But—!"

"It's not a bad thing though," Tomoko was laughing now. Talking to Kise was always so entertaining because he was so animate. "I like it."

If only she could see through the cell phone to the other side, she would see that the charming blonde was beet red from her comment. Although it was off-handed on her side, it meant something completely different for the blonde.

"Kise-kun? Are you still there?"

"Y-Yeah!" he said after a minute.

"Thanks for telling me what happened between Kuroko-kun and Aomine-kun." It really did shed some light into her muddle head. Tomoko glanced at the forgotten English homework on her bedroom floor, signing softly. "I'm sorry, but I should go now. I'm really glad you called."

"Really? You mean it?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "Goodnight, Kise-kun."

"Goodnight then..." Kise said reluctantly. It_ was_ getting late. Before he was about to hang up, however, he remembering something.

"Wait, Kuma-cchi? I need a favor..."

* * *

_"Do I have a love rival?" _

_-Momoi Satsuki_

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Please don't kill me in the reviews xD**


	12. Free! As a Butterfly

*CHEERS TO A NEW YEAR!* I wish you all a wonderful year... If 2015 was great for you, then I hope 2016 will treat you just as well — if however 2015 wasn't as favorable, then may 2016 be ever in your favor!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

.

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_**SPARK**_

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"Where are you going?"

Tomoko stopped putting on her white sneakers halfway and turned to her dad. Okuma Yuuma was a man over forty with dark brown hair and a small beer belly. He was of average height for a Japanese man, and his features were sharp and modest.

"I'm going to meet a friend," Tomoko replied as she tied her shoe laces. Walking up to the man, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back soon!"

Yuuma hummed. "Does your friend happen to be a boy?"

"Yup, it's Kise-kun from Kaijo High. Our basketball team played his in the beginning of the year."

"I've heard of him," Yuuma nodded. While other fathers would be absolutely appalled that their only daughter was always surrounding herself with hormonal, teenage boys (Tomoko didn't seem to have many girl-friends) and even leaving early in morning to be with another _boy_, he didn't object such activities.

Okuma Yuuma was simply not like most fathers.

He couldn't control how friendly his happy-go-lucky daughter was towards everyone, nor does he want to restrict her from making friends. And although he knows that his daughter's personality could charm many, Tomoko herself was too dense to realize it. As a result, she almost always unknowingly reject the suitors. Yuuma worries like all fathers for their children, but he felt completely at ease to know that Tomoko wouldn't go about having her heart broken.

And whatever the case, Ichirou personally wouldn't allow any boy who had an impure interest in his sister to live to see another day anyway.

Okuma Yuuma was not a scheming man by nature, but he's raised his children well and seemed to have found a way that ensured he wouldn't have to have a headache over hormonal teenage boys for a fair portion of his life.

"Well, you make sure to introduce your friends to your mom and I," he said, picking up the Sunday morning newspaper. The tiny crows feet around his eyes tighten as a result of his hearty smile. "Ah, perhaps bring the basketball team over for dinner sometime, too."

"Eh?" Tomoko thought for a second before nodding enthusiastically. "I will!"

He smiled and saw his daughter off. Okuma Yuuma was a modest, hard working man. But he did have a playful side.

He was curious to see who his little kuma has attracted this time around.

* * *

"Is Okuma-chan late again?" Koganei asked when Mitobe signaled that the cheeky manager was still not present for their practice. Hyuuga followed his gaze to the area of the bleacher where Tomoko would usually sit when the team did warm-ups.

"Maybe," the captain shrugged, jumping to make a three-pointer. A glint passed by his glasses, "She's always late but she always has a reason."

"Oh, maybe she's making us a new homemade pastry~!"

"I hope it's something tarty."

"Nah, something sweet is better!"

Riko, with the whistle in her mouth, blew it right in the dreaming cat-like teen's ear and whacked both him and the bespectacled captain upon seeing them slacking off in the corner.

"Quit daydreaming, you two!" she ordered them back into doing their warm-ups. "You're not allowed to take a break until you finish _all_ of your exercises!"

They were going to face Touou Academy in just a few days; there was no room for distractions. Plus, thinking about that school just makes the brunette's insides boil. She hasn't completely forgotten about the Touou team manager's lippy comment about her bust size.

And she couldn't believe that her team acted so smitten with the girl!

A smirk formed across Riko's features. Well, it was a good time to unleash her newest training plan on the team—something she liked to call _'The Hell-Bound Regimen.'_

The team groaned at the positively evil look in the coach's eyes. If only Tomoko was here...

* * *

Tomoko walked up to the meeting place they had agreed on the previous night and was surprised to see that the handsome blonde model was already there waiting for her.

"Thank you for coming, Kuma-cchi!" Kise cried as she came up to him. He was sporting a thin gray hoodie, ripped jeans and sunglasses, but even then, he was still more stunning than the average Japanese male. "Sorry you had to miss Seirin's practice today~"

He was smiling apologetically; internally, however, he really wasn't sorry. He was quite delighted.

"It's not a problem! Thanks to you, I finished my English assignment last night," Tomoko grinned sheepishly. After the blonde had asked for the favor, they ended up talking for a while longer, and when she admitted that she was having trouble with her English, he jumped right into helping her.

Kise Ryouta wasn't good at many things aside from basketball, but being a rising model with a popularity reaching as far as a few major cities in America, English was his forte.

"Plus Riko-san said I could skip today, so I'm all yours!"

_All mine... _Kise felt like he was floating on air. She didn't even know the effect of her words. "Well, let's get going, shall we~?"

She nodded pleasantly. "Where are we going anyway?" When the blonde asked for her help, he only revealed very general details; they were going to a company at the center of Tokyo where his sister worked.

"My oldest sister, the one who got me into modeling for _Zunon Boy, _is a fashion designer. She recently designed a line of summer fashion and want some of it showcased in magazines before she does her fashion show," Kise said excitedly.

"Oh, that's amazing!" There was stars in Tomoko's eyes. Imagining seeing the mastermind behind the designs of trendy clothing raised her enthusiasm tenfold. She looked at Kise with admiration,"So you will be modeling the new clothes?"

"Yup! But not just me, you too," Kise laughed as he added. "One of the female models couldn't make it today, so my sister is one model short," he explained with a broad grin, not being able to contain how happy he was. "So she asked me to find a stand-in. I just know you'll be the _perfect_ person for this, Kuma-cchi~!"

"W-What?!"

* * *

"She's _what_?!"

It came as a surprise to the team that Kagami was the one who vocalized his shock the loudest when Riko announced to the team that Tomoko would be gone for the day's practice because _'Kise Ryouta had asked her out.'_

_Why is that brat with Kise, of all people?! _Kagami mulled with the twitch of his eye. After the short meet-up with the ace of Teiko, Aomine Daiki, he had a bone to pick with the members of the Generation of Miracles.

Izuki regarded the redhead with a serious expression before he nodded with zeal as a new pun came to mind. "You're mad... Madly in love?"

"T-That's not it!" the Seirin ace stuttered, red in the face. Where was the upperclassman getting that from?! "I just can't b-believe she skipped out on practice! It's _undedicated_!"

"I believe that's not a word," Izuki replied, scratching something in to his notebook before frowning. "But Okuma-chan always comes to our practices..."

"Yeah, and what does the coach mean by 'asked her out'?" Koganei whined from besides the team's pun-maker, a part of him both anxious and angry that the frolicsome blonde model has his hands around their precious, pretty manager.

The seniors didn't admit it out loud, but they all thought of the girl as their little sister; they intend to protect her like any brother would, too.

"She's allowed to take a break from you brutes once in a while," Riko said offhandedly, throwing each member a towel to wipe off the sweat. She turned to the guys with a sinister glint in her eyes, "Don't tell me you guys are unsatisfied that only I'm here?"

"O-Of course n-not, coach!" the whole team chorused with cold sweat. The brunette coach seemed extra irritable today...

"Good," Riko smiled. "Now get back to practice! Remember that we have to prepare for Touou!"

"Y-Yes!"

They all sighed in relief and went back to running laps, although somewhat begrudgingly. They didn't notice the blue haired phantom, who had been silent the whole time, standing in the corner with an unreadable expression.

* * *

Tomoko was nervous. _Very_ nervous. It wasn't the getting-back-a-test-I-know-I-failed jitters nervous; it was the I'll-botch-this-photoshoot-what-the-hell-are-you-thinking-Kise concerned nervous.

"Shouldn't you find someone who's actually a model to fill this job?" she said as the blonde happily led her down the busy streets of Tokyo.

"Hm? Why?" Kise asked in confusion.

"Because I've never done something like this before... What if I mess it up?" Tomoko pouted and tugged at her loose caramel waves.

Kise turned around and flashed the girl a sincere smile, a smile truly fit for a charming model. "Don't say that, Kuma-cchi~ I didn't pick you just because we're friends, you know! Although it was part of it..." he then admitted with a blush. "B-But it's also because I know what my sister wants for this line and you're a perfect fit for her summer theme!"

"Her summer theme?"

"The 'Cute Delinquent' image."

"That sounds cool~!" Tomoko said in awe before assessing the title carefully again. She looked highly amused, "Wait, I look like a delinquent?"

Kise's face immediately twisted into a frantic and apologetic expression. "N-No, Kuma-cchi! It's not that I think you're bad person or anything! I meant that you have this strong, badass personality while still being super cute!"

The blonde model's frantic outburst garnered a few passerby's attention, with him declaring that in the middle of a busy street and all.

"Look at that boy; is he confessing to the girl?" a middle aged woman whispered not-too-quietly to her shopping companion.

"How bold is that, in the middle of the Tokyo crowd!"

"Ah, it's young love~"

_A confession? Was that what it sounded like?! _Kise felt his face heat up, "It w-wasn't—"

"Hey, doesn't he look familiar?"

"Oh my gosh, it's the model Kise Ryouta-kun!"

A group of girls formed a circle around the two as they realized who Kise was. Some pulled out pens and papers for an autograph while others grabbed their phones to request a picture with the handsome blonde.

Once again, Tomoko felt completely mobbed as she tried to squeeze past the excited fangirls that could literally trample her to death.

_They're surprisingly dangerous!_ she thought with wide eyes, being pushed up against a store window during the chaos.

"Please calm down," Kise coaxed, a soft smile on his face as he appeased the girls with quick autographs and photo-ops. "I don't want my fans to get hurt."

"Ahhhhh~!"

"You're so sweet, Kise-kun!"

He laughed, "Anything for my fans~ But I'm afraid I'm in a hurry, so I must leave now."

Tomoko watched the scene with slight amazement as the blonde was able to calm the hoard of fangirls and send them on their way peacefully. They had barely noticed her because of his overwhelming presence!

_It must be the power of idols, _she nodded assertively.

"Kuma-cchi!" Kise hurriedly came up to her as soon as the group of girls left. Despite being calm and charming externally, he had been panicking internally when he couldn't find Tomoko in the crowd. "I thought I lost you! Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Oh, I'm completely fine!" Tomoko grinned with a thumbs' up. "I guess I should get used to this if I hang out with you, huh?"

"Don't disappear like that," he pouted, teary eyed. "It's scary!"

"Aw, don't worry about me," Tomoko laughed, "I'm strong and delinquent-like, right?"

"You're just making fun of me now... "

Tomoko skipped ahead and turned around to face the blonde. "Not at all! I just think it's funny that I remind you of such."

"You're not a delinquent, Kuma-cchi!" Kise protested, now seconding guessing himself on whether it was the right choice to tell her his sister's fashion line theme.

"Well, I don't condone bullying," she nodded in agreement. The previous nervousness she felt was completely gone and replaced with anticipation. "I wonder what kind of clothes it'll be then, being a 'cute delinquent' theme and all."

_Well... At least she's excited about it now,_ Kise chuckled. "You'll see!"

"Hm... What kind of clothing does a yakuza wear?" she asked jokingly.

A sudden image of a stereotypical yakuza woman in a kimono and posing half-nude with her back covered in tattoos flashed into Kise's mind; as she craned her neck back, the woman's face morphed into Tomoko's smirking expression. The image was too much for the model to handle and he nearly fainted.

"Kise-kun?"

"L-Let's just get going..."

.

_twelve_

**free! as a butterfly**

.

"Woaaaaah!"

It didn't take too long for the two teens to reach their destination. The building, a modern black and white skyscraper, towered over the older buildings surrounding it, and it left Tomoko to stare with awe. The design was tasteful, as expected for a fashion company.

"I wonder how many floors there are," Tomoko said excitedly, looking up upon the giant building.

"There's 40 floors," Kise grinned, pulling the girl towards the automatic entrance to get inside. "_We're_ going to the 30th floor!"

They walked past the front desk, where two women smiled and greeted the blonde model upon seeing him. Although they were older, they still swooned when Kise waved at them good-naturedly.

_He really has a lot of fans..._

Inside the elevator, Tomoko turned to the model and gave him a thoughtful look. "How long have you been a model, Kise-kun?" she asked.

"Eh?" Kise pursed his lips as he recalled when his career started. "The beginning of junior high, when my oldest sister launched the fashion line that got her famous in the industry. I was her first model!" He then blinked at the caramel haired girl confusingly.

"Have you not heard about me, Kuma-cchi? I appeared _Zunon Boy_ and so many other magazines!"

"Nope!" Tomoko told him confidently. "I had no idea who you were before Kuroko-kun!"

The elevator _dinged_ and the metal doors opened, revealing the 30th floor. Excitingly, Tomoko stepped out and saw the buzzing city out the floor length windows. She turned to Kise with a carefree smile.

"It's so beautiful from up here!" she exclaimed, pulling Kise out of the elevator. She wasn't aware that her previous response had shocked the model greatly.

Was it even humanly possible that a teenage girl didn't know who he was? Kise was completely flabbergasted. He looked at the caramel haired girl; the aura around her seemed to sparkle like her curious eyes. _Ah, I guess that's what makes Kuma-cchi different from the others._

"There you are, Ryouta-kun! You're late!" a woman in a canary patterned blouse and black pencil skirt stormed up to them; her voice was taut and her indigo eyes were furrowed behind the rectangular glasses. She looked at Tomoko with a quizzical stare before turning back to the model, "Don't tell me you were out frolicking with a fan?!"

"How could you say that, Megumi-cchi!" Kise exclaimed at his manager with a panicked smile. "I'm not _that_ late... Plus, she's here to fill in for Aoi-san! This is Okuma Tomoko~!"

"Hi!" Tomoko greeted with a grin.

"Oh?" Megumi pushed up her glasses and sighed. "Alright, well, get going! Rikana-san isn't going to be happy about your tardiness!"

A cold shiver traveled down Kise's body. "I-Is Kana-neecchi mad at me?!" he asked with a fearful squeak. His manager merely raised a single eyebrow and ushered both Kise and Tomoko to the direction of the photoshoot.

Upon entering the room, they saw a pretty blonde in a black and white striped button-up that went down to the middle of her thighs and black knee-high boots, standing in the middle, giving out directions to the models and staff. The silver bracelets on her arm jingled as she pointed to different outfits for the models to try on. The room was hectic.

Tomoko watched with fascination at the colorful clothing and beautiful people around her. It was perhaps the first time she's seen so many gorgeous people in one place!

"This is like that one bee documentary I once saw... The worker bees swarming around the queen bee!" Tomoko whispered cheerfully to Kise, who laughed at the comparison.

Golden pools alike Kise's flashed curiously when she picked up on the caramel haired girl's comment, and she made her way towards them with swift strides.

"You're late!" her voice boomed as she flicked Kise on the nose and ordered the handsome model to go to the changing room.

Kise held his nose gingerly and pouted. "You can't hurt a model's face, Kana-neecchi~! But I'll leave Kuma-cchi with you then, bye!" he said before slipping away. Megumi shook her head and followed close behind.

"So you're Okuma Tomoko, right?" the pretty blonde then asked.

"Nice to meet you!" Tomoko grinned with her lopsided smile, reaching out her hand for a handshake.

"Kise Rikana," she introduced herself as well, taking the girl's hand and shook it firmly. Her pink lips quirked upwards before ushering Tomoko towards a makeup artist. "Ryouta has a good eye. I have the perfect outfit for you!"

* * *

Takao rolled over on his bed as he woke up from his slumber. It was a rare day that Shutoku did not have practice in the morning, so he was able to sleep to his heart's content. He glanced at the digital clock on his bedside; it was 11 in the morning.

_It feels good to not wake up so early for practice, _he thought and stretched.

Takao would say that he enjoyed playing basketball, but he really only joined Shutoku's basketball team as a fun pastime more so than to compete. Playing basketball widened his friendscope as well, and he can't say that he had any complaints.

It was because of his social nature that he was able to get Midorima to become friends with him, as much as it was to the latter's chagrin. None of the seniors on the team could tolerate Midorima's attitude.

"Ah, I wonder what Shin-chan is doing on this fine day?" the ravenette asked himself, a cheerful grin in place.

Really, he could receive a medal for being one of the few people on earth that could befriend such an antisocial teenager like Midorima Shintarou.

* * *

"So you're the manager for that one school that beat my little brother's team?"

Rikana was assessing Tomoko with her curious yellow eyes as a makeup artist did her magic on the girl. "Do you have some sort of analytical skill like that one girl..." she turned to the model currently having his face touched up across the room. "Oi Ryouta! What was your pinked haired friend's name again?"

"Eh? It's Momoi Satsuki! I've told you a thousa—ack!" the blonde cried when he was suddenly met with a mouthful of powder.

"Don't open your mouth when I'm putting on your makeup, Kise-kun!" his makeup artist scolded.

Rikana rolled her eyes and shook her head with mirth, being used to her little brother's childish mishaps. Next to her, Tomoko giggled.

"Nope, I just like basketball. My brother played a little in high school and I went to watch some of his games, but other than that I didn't really have much of an understanding of it until this year," she replied with a grin.

Rikana nodded, carefully listening to the girl. More importantly though, she wanted to know the relationship between the girl and her brother. Kise had a knack of getting too involved with his feelings, and she didn't want a repeat of what happened to him during middle school. "Then, what do you think of my brother?"

"Hmmm...? My first impression of Kise-kun was that he was an idiot," Tomoko shrugged. The blonde designer couldn't help but burst out laughing at her offhanded comment.

"Ha ha, you're an interesting one!"

"You guys are so mean~!" Kise cried from the other side of the room, having obviously heard.

"She's only telling the truth, Ryouta!" Rikana grinned and patted the caramel haired girl's back. "I like you."

Tomoko felt her cheeks warm with happiness. "Thank you, Kise-san!"

"Just Rikana is fine," the blonde waved.

It was then the makeup artist finally stood back after applying the final touch. "Alright, you're done!" she allowed the girl to look at herself in the mirror, and the girl gasped in surprise.

"My eyelashes look like butterfly wings~" Tomoko demonstrated to Rikana, fluttering her eyes and laughing.

Rikana looked at her with amusement; if Kise's little friend was cute before, she was positively alluring now. The makeup artist had given her very light smokey eyes that kept the image clean while providing a pitch of roguish charm, and her cheeks shone with shimmering bronze on cream-colored skin.

_She definitely fitted the 'Cute Delinquent' image..._ Rikana could imagine that her brother had thought the same because of the powerful look that Tomoko's eyes held, even without all that makeup (otherwise the girl was cute by nature). The smokiness just highlighted it more.

She then noticed and smirked at the awe-stricken expression on Kise when he came over. _Hmmm. Interesting._

"Kuma-cchi... You look stunning."

Tomoko smoothed down her shirt and grinned at the blonde's compliment. Her first outfit consisted of a collared, thorny-rose patterned white shirt, cut-off jean shorts over sheer back leggings, and black ankle boots. "As do you," she said, eyeing Kise's outfit; he was wearing black capri pants, a disheveled white button-up and thin maroon blazer, and a black fedora tilted playfully on his head. "It's a good look on you!"

"Really?!" Kise beamed with exhilaration to have been complimented. "I'm so happy to hear that~!"

"Enough of that," Rikana pulled on her little brother's ear to gain his attention, seeing two male models walking towards their direction to switch with Kise. She grinned, "You have modeling to do. You're up next!"

Kise pouted and reluctantly went to his photoshoot, while the other two models came by.

"Who's this newbie, Rikana-san?" the first one asked with interest as he eyed Tomoko in her fixed-up glam. He had fiery burgundy hair that swept down and framed his angular face. His grin was impish and dangerously shark-like.

"Isn't she Aoi's replacement for the day?" the other one replied with bore, his hands stuffed in his pant pockets. He had short, ash black hair and aquamarine bedroom eyes that, in contrast from his companion, gave him a permanently phlegmatic look.

They both looked about the age of typical high school teens, but they had a more mature air to them. They towered over Tomoko's form curiously.

"Rin, Sousuke, don't scare her," Rikana chided, tapping her manicured fingers on her crossed arm. "This is Okuma Tomoko—don't think about hitting on her."

Rin, the redheaded one, scuffed good-naturedly. "What do you take me for, your playboy brother?" he grinned as the comment drew an irritated twitch from the fashion designer.

"Do you wanna lose your job, Rin-chan?"

"Joking, joking," he mumbled.

Sousuke sighed and leaned down towards Tomoko. "He's pretty childish when he's not being sarcastic. You can ignore him if you feel uncomfortable," he told her as a precaution.

Though he usually gave off an intimidating feeling by nature—it wasn't really something he had control over—Tomoko seemed completely unfazed by the tall model and merely flashed him a small smile.

"I'll keep that in mind!" she replied. "Are you guys friends with Kise-kun?"

Sousuke shrugged. "We're just co-workers, I guess."

"Sousuke and I, on the other hand, have been friends since elementary school," Rin butted in and grinned, resting a muscular arm loosely on his friend's shoulder.

_Aw, childhood friends..._ Tomoko was pulled into a short reminiscent. She remembered that there was someone like a childhood friend in her past. She wouldn't exactly say it was neighbor, but they hung out so often back in her old city; they got along very well, even though she was a year younger. But, the friend had to move away after she started junior high.

"Hey, are you and Kise Ryouta a..._t__hing_? He seemed pretty adamant on having you fill in," Rin asked curiously, drawing her attention back to him. Aside from the obligation to please his fans, Rin didn't think he's ever seen the blonde take a girl seriously.

"We're friends! But we're _enemies_ on the court."

He blinked blankly at first, then he remembering that Kise played basketball. "Hm, enemies in basketball?"

"Yeah, we're from different schools. I promised a friend that I will make Kise-kun realize his pompous ways in basketball and let him start to enjoy it once again," Tomoko beamed. "He's been making good progress!"

Rin remembered that his junior high buddies had done the same to him, regarding swimming. Tomoko reminded him of a certain short swimmer. Now, if Hazuki Nagisa was a girl...

_Imagine that, _the redhead laughed to himself.

* * *

Kise couldn't stop looking over at where Tomoko and the other two male models stood, talking idly.

He knew that the caramel haired girl was just very friendly, much like himself, but something in him just didn't like that. Especially right now, when she looked like _that._

...What was this feeling he was experiencing?

_Click!_

"Kise-kun, you're not paying attention," the female model, Yamanaka Saeko, pouted from besides him. The photographer had called her over just minutes ago for some duo shoots.

"Hm?"

Saeko bit the insides of her cheeks, frustrated at the blonde's inattention. Truth to be told, she had always had a little crush on the _Zunon Boy_ model, and when she was offered the gig to model Kise Rikana's fashion line for _Teen Fashion Magazine_, she couldn't refused because she knew that Kise Ryouta will surely be one of the models.

Yet, even though she was given some time with him in such close proximity, she still wasn't able to capture his attention.

Saeko threw a quick look at the new girl who was supposed to stand in for Carroll Aoi and frowned. "Kise-kun, we're suppose to have our arms hooked together," she told Kise, snapping him out of it.

"Oh, yeah, okay~" he shrugged, linking his arms with hers.

_Click! Click!_

"Alright! Kise, I want you to change into that," the photographer called, motioning at the new outfit Megumi was holding. Kise readily complied and walked away from the backdrop. Then, something from the other side seemed to perk his attention once again. He looked panicked.

Saeko touched his arm gently, "What's wrong?"

"Did you hear that?!" he grabbed her shoulders.

"H-Hear what?" Saeko said in surprise, her eyes widening with confusing.

"I think I just heard Rin say _'kiss me'_!"

* * *

"Can I have Okuma over here now, please!"

Tomoko perked up upon hearing her name being called and made a move to get up. However, with the clunky ankle boots on her feet and being not used to the extra height the shoes gave her, she almost lost her balance.

"Careful," Sousuke droned as he swiftly grabbed her arm and steadied the girl on her feet. Tomoko grinned sheepishly.

"Thanks, Sousuke-kun!"

She then quickly made her way to the photographer; Kise and a pretty black haired model were just finishing up their last photo.

"Stand over there and my assistant will tell you what to do since it's your first time," the photographer ordered.

Tomoko nodded and cautiously stood in front of the backdrop. The anxious feeling only now returned to her as she stood in front of the camera. _Act natural... This is nothing!_

With a determined look, she got rid of her nervousness and braved the camera. After a few clicks the photographer gave her a thumbs' up and ordered her to change into a different outfit. This time, Yamanaka Saeko will be joining her for a few duo shoots.

"You're not very good at this, are you?" She heard Saeko comment behind her when she was getting her hair fixed. Tomoko blinked.

"Guess not," she laughed heartily. "I was dragged into this by Kise-kun."

Saeko looked like she was going to say something else, but she stopped herself when Kise bounded over to them.

"You were _amazing_, Kuma-cchi!"

Tomoko was suddenly glomped by the lively model, though he was quickly warded off by the hairstylist who _nicely_ threatened to get hairspray into his eyes if he interrupt her work again.

"You should become a model!" he exclaimed, smiling at the girl. "Then we can model together!"

"Eh, I think I'll just stick with being a normal high school girl," Tomoko giggled; she liked the experience of it all, but she felt it would be too much for her. Just thinking about the possibility of being bombarded with fans made her uncomfortable...

Kise pouted childishly, "But I want you to be my partner~"

The two's idle chat cast Saeko to the side; she was fuming inside, being so blatantly ignored by her crush because of Tomoko. Oh, she did not like that.

"Yamanaka, Okuma!" the photographer called, signalling that he wanted them to come back for the shots. The two girls quickly made their way over.

"Good luck, Kuma-cchi!" Kise encouraged.

Tomoko smiled brightly and turned to her current partner, but she only received a frown in return.

_...Does she not like me? _she thought with a small, confused pout.

After two or three poses, the photographer looked satisfied with the results. He could tell that Tomoko wasn't used to modeling, so she was a little rusty, but he was happy with her performance nonetheless. However, there seemed to be something missing from her image.

The 'Cute Delinquent' needed... _A bad boy._

"Before we finish up, let's have Okuma pose with a male model," he said, motioning his staff to get to work. "I want to emphasize the teen rebellion. How about Ki—"

Saeko saw that Kise perked up with the suggestion of possibly having a few pictures with the caramel haired girl, and she immediately wanted to prevent that.

"I think Matsouka-san will be a perfect partner for Okuma-san; he has that 'bad shark boy' image!" Saeko quickly suggested, making the photographer stop his tracks and mule over the idea. She beamed when the photographer nodded in agreement.

"Hmm... I like it. Matsouka! Over here!"

Rin looked up from mid-chew; he was eating a low-sugar cookie. "Eh? Okay." Strutting over, he disregarded the childish glare Kise was giving him and patted Tomoko encouragingly on the back.

_That's right, Kise-kun is _my_ partner,_ Saeko thought proudly. Everyone would agree that Yamanako Saeko was usually a nice girl—but when it concerned her crush, she wasn't keen on playing nice.

Understanding the situation, Sousuke sighed. He came up next to the black haired beauty, "That was kind of low, Yamanaka."

"It's not hurting anyone, is it?" she puffed her cheeks stubbornly, crossing her arms.

Sousuke only shook his head.

* * *

_Ah, it's finally over~_ Tomoko stretched, happy to be back in her own clothes and shoes. She vowed that she was never going to wear high heels if she wanted to live past twenty.

_They're way too dangerous! But, nonetheless..._

"I had a lot of fun today, Kise-kun!" she grinned at her companion walking besides her. She met a famous fashion designer and even made two new friends!

"I'm glad you had fun," Kise replied with a small smile; though, he was still a bit downtrodden that he wasn't the one who got to have the duo shots with the caramel haired girl.

_Well,_ his golden eyes sparkled with happiness, _at least I got a pic—_

"Look, there's ice cream over there!" Tomoko's happy cry brought him back from his revere and he looked up, also spotting the little ice cream shop up ahead. She pulled on his sleeve, "Let's go~! I still owe you ice cream, remember?"

And so the two grinning teens entered the ice cream shop. Tomoko picked the strawberry shortcake and Kise ordered an oreo swirl. Receiving the cones, they went to find a seat outside of the busy shop.

"Tomo-chan?" Tomoko turned around at the voice. "Ah! It _is_ you!"

Takao was sitting at a 4-person table on the side with a begrudged Midorima. They had ordered a chocolate cone and a green tea cone.

"You look extra dazzling today, I almost didn't recognize you!" Takao exclaimed, his eyes then landing on Kise. "Oh... you're on a date...? Ah! Shin-chan, I'm soooooo sorry!" he looked at Midorima with apology.

The green haired miracle grunted. "What are you even talking about."

"It's not really a date; I owe Kise-kun ice cream from the other day," Tomoko laughed at the ravenette's misconception, not at all embarrassed. "And I got to model today!"

"Whew, that's great news for—!" the green haired miracle thwacked him on the head before he could finish. He pouted, "Mahhh, but that's also very good for you, Tomo-chan! So you will be appearing in magazines now?"

"Just this once!" Tomoko grinned.

"You can be in more if you become a real model, Kuma-cchi!" Kise was really keen on the idea of working side by side with Tomoko, even if the girl had already expressed her opinion on that.

"Oh~" Takao commented with a playful smile. He turned to his brooding companion and nudged him on the arm, "Shin-chan, don't you think Tomo-chan is pretty enough to be a model?"

"That's an irrelevant question."

"Don't be such a tsundere! C'mon, what you think?"

Being annoyed by the ravenette's insistent prodding, Midorima was very tempted to smash his green tea ice cream on the teen's head. That would surely be payback for the okonomiyaki incident...

"You are stupid," he replied offhandedly. He had only agreed to hangout with Takao because Oha-Asa said that he will be very lucky today, especially if he visited an ice cream shop. _But,_ he glanced at the girl, _I guess I will have to agree._

"Midorima-cchi is being mean as usual," Kise chuckled behind his ice cream. Really, the green haired miracle has not changed in his attitude since junior high.

"Maybe his horoscope was bad today?" Tomoko added in a whisper.

Emerald eyes narrowed at the two, "Cancers have the second best luck today, right after... Libras." His eyes twitched at the caramel haired girl. _S__he's a Libra..._

"Oooh, lucky!" a grin spread on Tomoko's face. _I'm a Libra!_

"What about me, Midorima-cchi?" Kise asked excitedly, humoring the horoscope lover. "Is my sign lucky today?" He had, after all, spent the entire morning with Tomoko. Not even a certain Matsouka Rin could get in his way of enjoying today.

The green haired miracle propped his glasses higher on his nose and smirked. "Quite the opposite. Geminis are last again."

"Huh?!"

Tomoko giggled and patted the horror-stricken model's shoulder in support. "Horoscopes aren't reliable..." Kise retorted. He was having a_ fantastic_ day!

"Your refusal of accepting the truth is why fate is never on your side," Midorima said, taking a small lick of his ice cream.

_Ah... I wouldn't go that far,_ Tomoko thought and chuckled to herself.

A sudden beep from Kise's phone gained all four teen's attention. The blonde fumbled to check his phone while still holding on to his oreo cone; it was a message. When he opened it, however, his cone dropped pathetically on the table.

"W-Why...?"

Takao, having never seen the blonde outside of being cheerful, was taken aback when saw tears lining the handsome model's golden eyes. Was he going to witness a grown man cry today? _Over what?_

"Hey, Kise-kun... Are you okay?" Tomoko blinked in surprise. "Did something happen?"

"Geminis have the worst luck today," Midorima reminded to no one in particular, his voice proud as he ate his ice cream.

The handsome model sniffed, shakily showing them the message he received.

...

From: Kuroko Tetsuya

To: Kise Ryouta

(12:46)

_Die._

...

Midorima may not agree on anything with the phantom, but this was... _V__ery tasteful of him, if I may say so myself,_ he smirked.

Today _was_ a lucky day. Of course, Oha-Asa never wronged him.

* * *

_Before leaving the studio:_

_Rikana suddenly appeared behind Tomoko, holding a cute summer dress that wasn't part of her summer line and a wide grin in place._

_"Just for fun, why don't you try on this one? It's Ryouta's favorite!"_

* * *

**Tis' the season to have _Free! _characters randomly showing up and wrecking Kise's life XD This chapter is for the KiMoko (?) shippers out there!**

**Please leave a review~**


	13. That's Ridiculous

For my readers who are also taking their semester finals next week. Ganbatte!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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Fans, both students and parents alike, gathered around the outside of the Interhigh stadium. The scheduled games today has caused lively chatters among the considerably larger group of audiences.

In midst of the crowd, there was Team Shutoku, minus a certain green haired miracle, also marching towards the stadium with great expectations.

Today was the start of the championship league.

Tomoko made sure to be on time today. It was important for the team as well as for herself; Seirin was going to reach a new milestone and she wanted to make sure that she was there for her team.

_Seirin's versing Touou today,_ her salmon eyes furrowed with a mix of eager and suspense. She walked with her team into the building and glanced at the silent Kuroko. _We're up_ _against the former Teiko ace, Aomine Daiki..._

"Why ya look so worried, brat?" Kagami stopped walking and asked as he looked down at the caramel haired manager beside him. All that thinking made her face scrunch up unconsciously. "We'll beat them. That Aomine won't know what hit him."

The corners of Tomoko's lips pulled up and she smiled. "...Of course! Aomine-kun and his team may be strong, but I have no doubt that Seirin has gotten stronger," she replied.

"Then stop lookin' like you're constipated."

"I was not..." Tomoko glared at him with a small pout, though she knew he was only kidding. She then eyed the redhead's calves, crouching down to poke them experimentally, almost like one would a dead animal; she asked, "Are they healed?"

Kagami smirked, "Yeah."

"One hundred percent?"

"Ha? They don't hurt anymore," he rolled his eyes, fingers twitching with anticipation. He's been anxious to return to the court; Riko had found out about his secret playing sessions with those analytic eyes of hers and banned him from touching the ball until his legs ceased signs of injury. "I'm going to show him my _true_ strength this time."

"Oooooh, you go, Tiger!" Tomoko slapped Kagami hard on the back and grinned when he glared at her actions. "I brought some heating pads, just in case," she took the pads out from her bag and waved them around.

"Whatever... Oi, we're falling behind," Kagami said, grabbing the girl's arm and took longer strides to catch up with the rest.

"I can w-walk myself!" she huffed, trying not to trip on her own two feet as the redhead dragged her along.

"Nah, your tiny little legs are too slow."

"Hmph!"

Once they reached the locker room, their conjoined arm-in-hand didn't go unnoticed by the team. The team's wide eyes promoted Kagami to look down at the origin of their attention, and he immediately retracted his hand with a blushing start.

"What was... Never mind," Riko, holding an arm full of empty water bottles, started to say but merely shrugged afterwards. She handed a few bottles over to Tomoko, "Okuma-chan, come with me to fill these water bottles."

Tomoko nodded, following behind while passing by the bespectacled captain.

"Thanks for your hard work, Okuma. It's nice to see you not being late as well," Hyuuga nodded at her and commented in good humor.

"Ou!" she laughed and winked. "Taichou-senpai's magnificent barrier jump inspired me to come on time!"

Hyuuga looked startled. "R-Really?"

"Hyuuga-kun isn't good with teasing, Okuma-san," Kuroko clarified to the girl, his expression even. When the captain sweat-dropped exasperatedly, the phantom then added with as much encouragement his flat voice could offer, "But Captain, I believe your barrier jump did inspire a few females to become our fans."

"_Ha_?!"

"Female fans?" Koganei looked interested. "Where?!"

Before she could witness the catlike teen tackle the phantom for answers, Tomoko had already walked out and closed the door. With a happy sigh, she quickly resumed the direction Riko had went. _They're so goofy..._ she smiled. Her team was endearing.

She walked down the empty hall lined sparsely with locker rooms for visiting teams. Suddenly, a muffled cry of disbelief bellowed from inside of one of the locker rooms.

_"Aomine-kun's not here yet?!__"_

Tomoko stopped her tracks and her eyes flashed to the tag on the door. 'Touou Academy Locker Room' stared back at her.

_"He won't answer, no matter how many times I call."_

_"That bastard..."_

It was definitely Team Touou that was in there. Tomoko frowned deeply as the notion of Aomine skipping out on their game dawned in her head. _He isn't serious about not showing up, is he? _

She quickly slipped behind a vending machine to conceal her presence as the locker room door burst open and Momoi Satsuki rushed out with her phone in hand. "I'll try calling him!" she said, her voice hurried and taut.

Tomoko's head of caramel poked out just barely to see what was happening.

"What are you doing? Where are you right now?" Momoi was mad, but her voice also sounded disappointed. There was a muffled reply from the other end and that seemed to cause the pink haired girl's frown to deepen. "You overslept?"

_He was sleeping? In the evening?_

Another guy, sporting a head of messy black hair and wearing glasses, came out of the room as well. "He finally picked up?" he took the phone out of Momoi's hands casually, "Aomine, how long until you can get here?"

A pause. "Oi, but we're counting you! We're up against Seirin!" Another pause, and the guy looked exasperated. "Next half? Hey, wait—" he sighed. "Ah, he hung up."

By now, Tomoko's heart was beating restlessly against her rib cage. She's heard enough to make an educated guess that Aomine Daiki didn't care enough to come to the championship game in time for it to start, or even come _at all. _

Needless to say, she was angry.

With a heavy heart, she stepped out from behind the vending machine and caused the two members from Touou to look at her in surprise.

"Okuma-san...?" Momoi looked regretful. "So you heard that, huh... I'm really sorry about Aomine-kun..."

Tomoko looked up at the two of them, her salmon eyes hard with unwavering grit. "Where is he right now?"

"He... He's still at Touou Academy. I just don't know what to do with him anymore," she sighed.

"Seirin's going to have to play Touou without Aomine for the time being," the black haired teen told her with a small, apologetic smile. "It looks like he won't be here until the second half."

_That jerk's purposely stalling._

The tournament was starting in half an hour; Tomoko knew it will only take Aomine around twenty minutes to get to the Interhigh building since Touou was not far away, so he was just wasting time.

_If that's the case... _

Momoi blinked confusingly when Tomoko handed her the empty water bottles from her hands.

"I'm sorry Momoi-san, but can you fill these up for me and return them to Seirin? And please tell Kuroko-kun not to worry," Tomoko asked politely.

"E-Eh sure, but what are you...?"

_Since Aomine-kun isn't planning on coming here on time... _

Tomoko flashed the pink haired girl and the Touou captain a determined grin, "I will personally drag him here."

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_thirteen_

**that's ridiculous**

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_She's not here. _

Kuroko glanced at the door once again and grew worried when no one came through. Riko had returned with the task of filling half the team's water bottles, yet the manager was still no where to be seen.

"Even if we didn't arrive at the fountain the same time, she should be back by now!" Riko bellowed, worry etched onto her once-calm face. "So where could she be?"

"Maybe she's lost...?" Koganei supplied, looking up at the clock. In fifteen minutes, they will be facing Touou. This was not a good time for something like that to happen...

"She's been here more than enough times!"

Hyuuga sighed, "Well, with Okuma, we can never be certain." That girl had a knack for getting lost or finding herself in a predicament. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

There was a knock at the locker door, and the team perked at the likelihood that their manager had returned.

"See, she's back—" Hyuuga stopped midway when Touou's busty manager came through the doors instead. "M-Momoi-san?"

"Sorry for intruding," the pinked haired beauty smiled softly. In her arms were the rest of the team's water bottles, all filled up. "I'm just dropping this off for Okuma-san."

Kuroko stared at his Teiko manager with obvious puzzlement. If she was here in place of the caramel haired girl, then...

_Where could Okuma-san be?_

His brilliant sapphire eyes met with her amaranth ones, and she seemed to understand what he was thinking. She came up to him; her eyes showed sadness and frustration.

Kuroko immediately knew something was amiss. Momoi had that look when something greatly upset her.

"Tetsu-kun! It's Aomine-kun," she revealed with a sigh, pulling him to her chest for comfort.

The rest of Seirin blinked in envy and confusion.

"Uh, Momoi-san, what does he have anything to do with Okuma-chan?" Izuki asked, being the first to compose himself. If that Touou ace did something to their Tomoko...

"I'm sorry..."

Momoi's lips quavered, and she then mumbled, "He's doing _that_ again," she looked up and saw the slight hurt in the phantom's eyes when he registered what she meant.

"He's being a jerk and said he won't come for the first half! Okuma-san overheard and went after him."

"She... What...!" Riko slapped a hand on her face. _Of course she did!_

"That sounds like something that brat would do," Kagami rolled his eyes. Though, he couldn't shake off the anger that was building within him once he heard that Aomine wasn't even motivated enough to play in this tournament.

He growled. "Ha, ain't that asshole obnoxious. Makes me wanna beat him up..."

_Aomine-kun... _Kuroko furrowed his brows. Not only has the miracle's actions made Momoi sad, he also proved to team Seirin that he was absolutely looking down upon them and thought of them as an unworthy team.

And he's making Tomoko, who would do anything to fight for the team, deal with his arrogant antics.

_But... She always had a way of convincing people._

"Tetsu-kun, Okuma-san told me to tell you to not worry!" Momoi set her dainty hand down on Kuroko's shoulder, a small, reassuring smile formed on her face in place of the sad pout. "You know, I believe in her. I have a feeling that she will bring Aomine-kun back."

Kuroko's expression softened.

_... I do too._

* * *

She was running out of breath, but she refused to allow her legs to stop moving. Touou Academy was just around the corner.

She pulled out her phone and checked the time. There was still a chance that she could get the navy haired miracle to show up before the game between Seirin and Touou starts, it was just the matter of whether she will be able to convince him to come.

_I'm going to give that jerk a piece of my__—_ Tomoko paused as she entered the gates to the academy. Her salmon eyes widened at the sheer size of the building and campus; the school resembled more of an university campus than a high school!

...She was going to have to _find_ Aomine first.

"Momoi-san said either the auditorium or rooftop..." she weighed her two options. Rooftop or auditorium? Both of these places seemed pretty ideal for the miracle to snooze off, but it wasn't like she knew the way to either one.

"...Rooftop it is!" she decided, since it seemed like the easier route to go first.

Almost everyone had left the school at this point, since the championship game was going on. And it was getting late.

A crow cawed.

Tomoko inhaled deeply. She _will_ to find Aomine, and he _will_ give her some answers.

* * *

Laying on the secluded rooftop of Touou Academy was Aomine Daiki, resting peacefully under the day's last rays of sunlight. Of course, he knew there was the championship game today, it was just that he lost track of time when he fell asleep.

Since Satsuki and Imayoshi was on his case about his absence, he figured he can just show after the second quarter. He still had ample time till then. Seirin wasn't tough anyway, even with Kuroko in the mix.

Weak teams... They only hinder the phantom's strength. That Kagami Taiga can't draw out Kuroko's full potential, nonetheless hope to beat _him. _

A dry smirk appeared on Aomine's face.

_Why is it that..._

_None of my opponents are ever strong enough? _

Aomine had lost count of how many times he had grew hopeful upon seeing a potentially strong opponent, then be utterly disappointed when they proved to be nothing but trash. He wouldn't even be exerting half of his ability and they would already be giving up.

He loved basketball so much... But now...

_I'm undefeatable. _

He draped an arm over his eyes. Since then, he has come to terms with that... And it slowly diminished his passion and caused him to stop caring for basketball altogether.

"Ah-ha! I actually found my way up here in only five minutes!" a feminine voice cheered proudly from the far side of the roof.

Aomine thought the voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

_Oh well..._ It was probably just some student who decided to come up to the rooftop for the first time or something. As long as she don't bother him, he couldn't care less.

The soft footsteps became louder as it grew closer to where Aomine laid.

"Aomine Daiki!" Aomine's navy eyes jolted open when this unknown female barked out his name.

The only person who ever called him out this angrily when he was slacking off somewhere was Satsuki, but she was at the Interhigh arena, so... He glanced at the long, creamy legs that appeared a few feet before his vision and slowly trailed upwards until he was met with familiar caramel locks and a piercing salmon gaze.

"...Eh?" he didn't bother to contain his surprised (and equally amused) look at seeing the Seirin manager. She had her hands on her hips, and she was breathing faster than normal while her cheeks were stained pink from running. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking _you_ that!" Tomoko grabbed on to his arm, surprising him again with her strength that she was able to pull him up to a sitting position in one swift motion. "The game between Seirin and Touou is starting in five minutes and you're still lying around here!"

He yawned.

"Eh... Satsuki told you where I was, didn't she?" Aomine stood up, releasing the caramel haired girl's hold on his arm. He stretched lazily, "I ready told her I'm comin' during the second half, geez. It's not like I'm needed..."

_Is he being serious right now? _

The words coming out of the miracle's mouth just sounded like a bunch of crap to Tomoko. Had he no sense of decency? How is it fair to any of his opponents or teammates if he doesn't even bother to show up?

"You have_ terrible_ sports etiquette if you think that's okay," she pursed her lips, her response prompting Aomine to raise his brows.

"Ha?"

"You're not taking this game seriously... Don't you love basketball?" she continued insistently, "What you're doing right now is basically insulting your opponents and insulting basketball. You're ruining the fun of it!"

Tomoko watched as the male's eyes darken considerably, his body towering over hers stiffly. His attitude with basketball was as if it wasn't a part of him anymore. As if...

_"He grew too strong, and he got bored of basketball."_

"What's fun about basketball anymore? I'm the only one who can beat me, anyway," he growled.

But she refused to believe that.

"I'm pissed you think that, Aomine-kun. Throughout the entire tournament, Seirin's been doubted and looked down upon, and yet, we still came out victorious! We've made it this far... Kuroko-kun, Kagami, the seniors—they've all practiced so much because they wanted to be good enough to defeat Touou today... To defeat _you,_" her voice projected across the rooftop strong and clear, her eyes piercing into the miracle's own stormy navy orbs. "But what, you're too self-centered to even give them a chance? That's pathetic."

"Oi..." Aomine looked irritated, but she continued her rant.

"You think that just because you're good, all of your opponents will give up upon seeing you? Kagami lost to you that day, but _his _motivation hasn't dropped! Neither has anyone else in Seirin, even though they know how good you are!" Tomoko's cheeks flushed pink with frustration; her eyes were shining with anger. Her team, her _friends,_ were all looking forward to this! She didn't want them to be let down like that!

"You'll be the biggest idiot if your team suffers a loss because you were too egoistic to play Seirin properly—!" Tomoko gasped in shock as she suddenly found her feet off the ground and her body being lifted up by the strong, tanned male. He carried her bridal style and walked over to the edge of the roof.

She glanced downward from her position; _i__t's high!_ Her heart pounded against her rib cage in fear, but she didn't let it show.

"I don't need to take shit from you, even if you're cute. All that yakkin' you're doing is really starting to annoy me..." Aomine droned, hanging her threateningly out the edge in his outstretched arms. He smirked dangerously, "I might just throw you off the roof."

The navy haired miracle had a short temper, and she was playing with it. He has never expressed any kind of violence towards a female, but he really just wanted her to stop yelling in his ear like she was his mother or something.

He looked down at her initial nonplussed expression, expecting her to be spooked out of her bones and beg him for mercy.

She only glared at him instead.

"If I die, I'll haunt you in my afterlife so that every time you pick up a basketball, you will see an image of my bloody face."

Aomine blinked at her arbitrary response; her expression showed nothing but seriousness. _What the..._ A laugh soon escaped from the base of his throat and he moved to set the girl down, his shoulders shaking with mirth.

Tomoko huffed as she dusted off her uniform skirt. "I'm being serious!"

"You're somethin' else," Aomine grinned. It looks like he was back being in an insouciant, laid-back mood. "Alright... You got me. I'll go with you to the game now, you happy?"

"Y-You will?" Tomoko brightened up substantially, happy to have finally gotten through his thick, apish head. "Let's go then, or we won't even make it to the second half!"

He peeked at her excited expression. "Ha, your little legs will be the ones slowing us down, _O__-__chibi_-_k__uma._"

_...He's like Kagami in a way,_ Tomoko blinked, pushing him towards the stairs leading down the academy building. "Get moving, we're going to be late!"

"Yeah, yeah."

As the two teens exited the gates of Touou Academy, it was already darkening with streaks of deep magenta and crimson ornamenting the sky. Tomoko tugged at the miracle's sleeve, beckoning him quicken his pace. She ran ahead.

Aomine sighed, picking up his pace easily and jogged besides the girl. He figured this could be a warm up for him. Conversation stagnated; the silence, save for soft, rhythmic pants, was not awkward between them, however, and he found himself comfortably studying the Seirin manager besides him.

She had ran all this way to Touou just to convince him to come to the game, even if she could only get him there a few minutes earlier than he said he would arrive. He didn't understand—Seirin needed to defeat their opponent teams to move forward in the tournament, and if so, they had a slightly bigger chance of winning _without_ him playing.

"Why are you trying so hard?" he called out in question. "To get me to play, I mean." Tomoko looked up at him, her bright eyes shining.

"Because you're from the Generation of Miracles," she said simply, "And we've vowed to defeat you."

Aomine, in response, only stared at the girl with skepticism. To think that a team like Seirin can hope to defeat someone like him.

He knows; once he arrives at the Seirin-Touou game...

"Didn't I tell you? The _only _one who can beat me, is me," Aomine replied, stepping in front of Tomoko. He liked the spunk and determination she had, but it wasn't going to help her team win.

There was no question about it.

_I'll win._

* * *

Riko was beating herself up for not realizing sooner that Kagami's legs haven't completely healed. She was caught up in the moment of focusing solely on Touou that she oversaw one of her own player's health.

The _most_ frustrating thing was that despite having Kagami injured, she still had to send him out to play. It was the only way Seirin could hope to win.

_I underestimated her..._ The composed pink haired manager on the opposite side of the court came to her mind.

Momoi Satsuki had more under her sleeve than her cute exterior had to offer. She was lethal; a great asset to Touou as a information gatherer. Not only has she researched each player on Seirin, she also analyzed their strengths and weaknesses and even went as far as making spot-on predictions on their next moves.

But not only that, Touou's players were all extremely skilled themselves—the more skillful the player, the stronger the sense of self he had. They don't rely on team play like Seirin; instead, each individual exerts their own strengths and scores only for himself. It almost makes it look like Seirin is playing five different teams.

Though both Seirin and Touou are up there pressurizing each other, the score gap was only getting bigger. She had realized that the only way Seirin was going to have a winning chance against this one-man team is if Kuroko, the only person Momoi couldn't read, and Kagami, their ace, were both up there.

"I'm sorry," Riko apologized as she finished taping up Kagami's leg. Thanks to Tomoko's thoughtful thinking, the heating pads she brought should soothe the redhead's pain for the rest of the game. "We've been calling it team play, but it's actually a style someone taught me... I'm not strong enough to draw out everyone's full potential, so I have to rely on you even though you're injured," she turned away, ashamed. "My weakness as a coach really pisses me off..."

"Ha? That's not like you at all," Kagami scoffed; hearing the brunette's apology had caused him to stop and look at her with incredulity. "You make practice menus, you scout, you give us instructions on the bench, and you even massage and tape us. If anything, you do too much."

Riko was surprised by the redhead's grumbled encouragement. He may be foolishly rash and borderline rude at times, but he was also genuine and kind at heart, and hearing something like that from him was really heartwarming.

"You're the coach. You've got to at least come prepared during games."

"Come prepared?" Riko blinked, trying to speculate what the redhead was talking about.

"I-I mean, sending me off with an apology hardly amps me up," Kagami stuttered.

Silence filled the bench area as his words sunk in. Soon, the solemn coach broke into a small smile, "Ah. I may not be as verbal as Okuma-chan at cheering and encouragements..."

The buzzer sounded and the announcement for Seirin's member change was called.

"...But you are a brat, Bakagami," she stood back up with her hands on her hips. "Go get them!"

Kagami grinned determinedly. "Go it, coach!"

A strong arm suddenly looped around Kagami's neck, catching the Seirin ace off-guard from behind. "That's it, show some spirit so you can entertain me, even for a little while." It was Aomine's menacing voice that rung in his ear. Kagami threw the tanned male's arm off in shock.

He didn't even notice the guy coming up! A dangerous glare made its way to Kagami's face, "Aomine!"

Riko also looked on with visible shock at the Touou ace's silent appearance. _If he's here now, then...!_ Her eyes darted to the direction of the entrance, and sure enough, she saw the person she was looking for running up towards them.

"Okuma-chan!"

Out on the court, relief seemed to wash across Kuroko's expression.

"W-We made it..." Tomoko panted, her body tired from running. Because Aomine was more athletic than her, he had came in ahead. She waved at her team, "I-I'm back! Sorry for making you guys worry..."

Team Seirin was just happy to have their manager return; likewise, Touou was glad to have their star player show up.

"Just a minute before second quarter ends, huh?" Aomine looked at the scoreboard. It was 49 to 39 with Touou in the lead. He then pulled the caramel haired girl to his side as he grinned wolfishly at the glaring redhead, "Would ya look at that; O-chibi-kuma did manage to get me here before the second half after all."

"Take your hands off of her, you bastard!" Kagami growled and reached over to yank Tomoko out of the miracle's hold, standing protectively in front of her.

"Calm down, Taiga-chan..." Tomoko set a hand on his arm; she could feel how tense his muscles were as the glare he had intensified with hatred at the tanned male. She figured he was pissed because of Aomine skipping out, but she didn't want a fight to break out between the two—they would both be disqualified!

Kagami's eyes immediately softened a little as he turned to her. "What were you thinking, running off without a word like that? Especially to get someone like_ him_!" he huffed, pointing an accusing finger at Aomine, who continued to smirk lazily.

"Eh, don't tell me you're scared now that I'm here?"

"That's ricidulous, I'll crush you!"

The redhead and the navy haired miracle had gotten off at the wrong foot upon their very first meeting, and it caused a heavy clash between the two aces. They both had a goal: Aomine was determined to prove that he was so much better, and Kagami was determined to defeat the former.

They were so similar, yet so different.

Tomoko was a firm believer that all problems could be solved if you just talk it out; however, with such animosity between the two, it didn't look like it was going to happen any time soon.

"Aomine, hurry up and get ready so you can play!" it was Touou's captain, Imayoshi Shoichi, who broke the enmity between the two clashing aces. Aomine raised a brow with protest.

"Ha? But you're winning."

"No, you have to play," Touou's coach, Harasawa Katsunori, a handsome middle-aged man with black, wavy hair, ordered with a small, reassuring smirk. It caused a sort of uneasiness to course through Riko and the players of the Seirin team.

With a small grunt, the tanned male complied and dumped his gym bag onto Touou's team bench. "Fine," he tossed his jacket over to Momoi, who caught it with a start. "Let's go."

There was no need for Riko's special analytical eyes to see that Aomine was a great basketball player. Just by the way the miracle carried himself, normal people would be able to tell that he was extraordinary and out-shone the rest.

Tomoko exchanged a worried look with Kuroko across the court. _Somehow... I have a really bad feeling about this... _But she immediately shook that thought out and cleared her mind.

_Don't be ridiculous, Tomoko! Believe in your team!_

"Touou, member change!"

Aomine adjusted his basketball shorts and walked towards the court, passing by Hyuuga and the rest and sending them an antagonistic smirk as he joined his awaiting teammates. Then, before the referee called for the game to resume, he seemed to remember something. He craned his neck back to look at Tomoko and flashed her a dominating grin.

"Watch carefully."

* * *

_"__I want to pull him out of this dark barrier that surrounds him... T__he barrier that pushed __his partner__ and the world away.__"_

_-Okuma Tomoko_

* * *

**Review?**


	14. Even When All Else Fails

\o/ A belated birthday dedication for our precious phantom!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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_"Watch carefully."_

Tomoko couldn't keep her eyes off of Aomine. She was completely captivated by the miracle's fast moves. Watching the show-off of skills within 31 seconds—a one-on-one between the two aces—was almost like watching magic being performed. It was surreal.

The buzzer had sounded to end the second quarter, but with such display of raw strength by both aces, neither team scored.

The audience on the bleachers looked on with awe and skepticism; Seirin was still ten points behind, and with Aomine back in the game, it was hard to tell if they could ever gain the advantage. A normal person would barely be able to keep up with the miracle's movements when he's in motion with the ball...

However...

Only those who knew him or paid close attention could see that when he came up to score, his moves were lethargic, unmotivated.

"Aomine! You were distracted, weren't you?" Wakamatsu Kousuke, the Touou team's second year center trailed behind the tanned male with an admonishing scowl. "You have to play harder! I can't believe you let that guy block you."

"Eh... I can't play that hard. I'm tired," Aomine replied lazily, causing the second year to twitch irritably.

"You bastard!"

Aomine merely disregarded the usual condemnations coming his way. He couldn't care less about what the second year thought; the arguments between them, some which even resulted in physical altercations, had been consistent since the day he joined Touou's basketball team.

They were strangers at best.

He rolled his neck back to get rid of the kink that formed when he was sleeping earlier, and he noticed Team Seirin from the corner of his eye. Kuroko and Kagami were conversing with Tomoko as the rest huddled by their coach.

They seemed to be more fired up, and Aomine thought it was almost commendable. He couldn't forget the determined look on Kuroko's face when the phantom expressed his will to defeat him. _A promise to Satsuki, huh? _It was laughable to think that such would happen.

Right before Team Seirin headed back to the locker room for intermission, the caramel haired manager seemed to have felt his eyes on them and turned briefly and captured his gaze.

The silent message was conveyed to him loud and clear.

_Don't underestimate us._ _Even if you're good, Aomine-kun... Seirin's not bad!_

"Heh..." _I guess she's on to something, _he turned back to the blonde, who was still looking pissed at his indifference. The corners of his lips quirked up in his trademark smirk, "I might actually try in the second half."

* * *

"Don't you think he's a little too arrogant? How can you guys tolerate that?!" Wakamatsu complained when Aomine walked out on the team meeting after declaring he'll just make all of his shots the rest of the game.

He has had it up to about now with the tanned miracle's haughty attitude and refusal to participate in practices and even important games. It was also frustrating to see that Sakurai Ryou, who was timid and self-blaming, was always being pushed around and bullied by Aomine.

Generation of Miracles or not, there was no reason for him to be so cocky! Imayoshi and the coach always looked the other way—it honestly infuriated him.

"It doesn't really matter if he is..." Imayoshi rubbed his head in exasperation. He was always dragged between their arguments, forced to listen to the blonde's complaints and sometimes even being the mediator when things got too physical. "To put his attitude negatively, it's arrogance," he picked up a basketball with one hand, "but put positively, it's the overwhelming confidence that comes from successive victories. I don't particularly like or dislike Aomine, but as long as he scores, I don't care about his personality."

"But—" Wakamatsu furrowed his brows at the captain before the basketball came hurling towards his chest. He grunted at the impact, though catching it without a problem.

The grin on Imayoshi's face resembled a sly fox, "There's nothing to complain about, Wakamatsu. As long as he plays, we're most likely to win."

The locker room grew quiet and the scowl on the blonde's face deepened; however, he knew the third year was right. As aggravating and provoking Aomine's attitude was, he helped Touou become victorious _every_ match.

It was known fact between the players in Touou that they weren't much of a team.

They were only united by their selfishness.

* * *

Back at Seirin's locker room, the players were once again grim with concern.

Even before Aomine showed up, they were having trouble keeping up with Touou. They will have to work even harder the second half.

"I hate to say this... But Aomine showed up at the worst possible time," Koganei sighed, seeing how the situation wasn't in their favor and was getting worse since the tanned miracle appeared. His thoughts immediately went to Tomoko and panic struck his eyes, "Not that _you _did anything wrong, Okuma-chan! We're really glad that you came back!"

"No worries, Koga-kun. We can still catch up next quarter!" Tomoko encouraged with a good-natured smile. She patted his back, "Riko-san said she brought something that'll replenish your energy!"

The team's attention directed to Riko as they watched her rummage through her bag before holding out a container filled with honey-soaked lemons. Apparently, Riko had specifically told the caramel haired manager that _she_ had prepared something for the team, and asked that Tomoko leave the job of making the homemade snack to her today.

The perky manager had agreed without knowing one important detail...

Hyuuga peered into the container of uncut lemons swimming in honey. _Riko is absolutely terrible in the kitchen!_

"At least _slice_ them!" he cried along with Koganei at the loss of a tasty snack made by their manager. This was like their first year, all over again! "We're always telling you to slice them!"

"W-Well, I washed them this time around, so you can eat the skin! You can eat more with whole lemons than sliced ones, anyway!"

Kagami walked away from the disaster that the coach called 'food' to prevent contaminating his appetite and went over by Tomoko and Kuroko. "You owe us double next time," he told girl with demand.

"...Mitobe, did you bring anything by chance?" Izuki looked at their silent player with pleading eyes, remembering that the male would sometimes make honey lemon slices as well.

Mitobe nodded with a small smile, taking out the lemons that he prepared out of his locker. Living in a household with many siblings, the quiet teen had become quite good in the kitchen in order to help his parents out—so something like this, a task that required no cooking, wasn't challenging at the least. That, plus he had accidentally overheard the coach talking to the manager and decided to save the team. Hyuuga and the rest blinked back tears of happiness as they consumed the properly prepared lemons.

"Mitobe, you're our savior~!"

The whole lemons lie ignored on the bench and Tomoko crouched next to the dejected coach. "I'm sure they're not that bad," she tried reassuring, but a shadow of sadness loomed over the second year. "Um..."

Trying to cheer the coach up, Tomoko suddenly picked up a lemon, "Kuroko-kun, why don't you try one!" she presented one to her blue haired companion, who happened to be the only one aside from herself that wasn't indulging in Mitobe's lemon slices.

Kuroko blinked at the plump yellow fruit with slight horror. "Okuma-san..."

"We can peel the skin off and it'll taste the same... Probably!"

"Oi! We need him in the game," Kagami said as he chewed, turning around to face the two friends briefly. He was convinced by the way Hyuuga always avoided Riko's food that eating something made by her can't have a positive effect on one's stomach.

Having heard the redhead's indirect insult, Riko stood with an annoyed smile and walked over almost menacingly to pull on his ear.

"You said something, _Bakagami_?"

"O-OW!"

Tomoko laughed, setting the lemon back down and sat next to Kuroko. Her playfulness sobered down when she saw how quiet the phantom was. Something in his eyes told her that he was holding back his emotions, something she's come to notice that he often did when he's silently staring off to the distance.

"He's good," she commented softly, knowing Kuroko will understand who she was referring to. The way Aomine played was unlike anything she's ever seen; if she didn't know better, she would never have thought he was playing for a high school basketball team.

"I have not seen Aomine's limit since he bloomed..." he said, concern lacing his expression as he looked into her eyes. "He's definitely even stronger now."

Tomoko gave Kuroko a halfhearted grin, "Don't push yourself too hard, Kuroko-kun. Seirin can make it through this!" She had a feeling that Riko was going to have him sit out for a while. Kuroko had played throughout the entire first half, and everyone knew from previous games that his effectiveness wears off with constant use.

"I want to keep playing the second half," he revealed to her, as if he read her thoughts. His eyes shone with determination.

_Eh? _"But it wouldn't be any good if you continued to wear yourself out..." Tomoko said.

The rest of the team had also heard his comment and turned to face their mirage player with surprise. "It's true that Aomine will be hard without Kuroko... But..." Hyuuga replied, looking at the blue haired teen. "It's best if you rest for a bit."

Kuroko shook his head. "I can—no, I _will_ do it. I will do anything to beat Aomine-kun."

_"I"..._

The way he only referred to himself greatly bothered Tomoko. She realized that he was starting to act like Kagami during the Shutoku match, and she didn't like it.

"Kur—"

"Kuroko."

Tomoko looked up; Kagami had beat her to it and she witnessed him grabbing a whole lemon and stuffing it into the phantom's mouth. "T-Taiga-chan!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Just eat those on the bench, you idiot," he barked, a small frown marring his face. "Don't be so hypocritical. You're the one who said you can't play basketball by yourself; so leave it to us!"

At his declaration, a heartfelt look flashed across Kuroko's face.

"We appreciate your enthusiasm, but you can trust us, Kuroko," Hyuuga said.

"You'll only be temporarily out the next quarter," Riko supplied after coming back from her deep thought. She wanted to make sure that Kuroko understood his limits, especially after what happened to Kagami. "Our battle will begin in the fourth quarter! If we need you sooner, Kuroko-kun, then be ready to play at any time."

With the whole team on Kagami's side, Kuroko could only nod.

"And eat some lemons!" she commanded.

He stared at the lemon in his hand and gulped. Hyuuga and the rest looked at him with sympathy, feeling bad for the boy.

"It's okay, Kuroko-kun," Tomoko smiled beautifully from besides the phantom, reaching over to hold his hand encouragingly. For her team, she'll be willing to do anything. "I'll eat them with you!"

_Okuma-chan..._ the team cried silently at the heartwarming sacrifice, blessing their manager's pure soul. _No one_ could willingly eat Riko's food like that. _Y__ou're such a good friend..._

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_fourteen_

**even when all else fails**

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This time when Aomine walked into the court, he was ready. He was completely serious now, having seen what Seirin was made of in the few moments before intermission. And having properly warmed up, his presence was even bigger and pressing for the rest of the onlookers.

The caramel haired manager and mirage player both gave Kagami a look of optimism. "Be careful," Kuroko said.

"And good luck!" Tomoko cheered.

Kagami nodded and walked down to the court, where he met Aomine halfway. The two aces stood across from each other in dominating stances.

A jungle tiger and a black jaguar.

"You finished warming up?" he glared at the tanned miracle with a smirk.

"Keep fighting until the end... If you have it in you," Aomine returned the same smirk, though his eyes held more malice. The first thing he had heard when he came back was not the roar of the audience, but rather Tomoko's cheerful voice as she encouraged her team with earnest. That somehow irked him. He motioned towards the girl, "She came all this way to bring me back; heh, you wouldn't want to let her down by being so quickly defeated by me."

Aomine knew what he said only proved to rile the redhead up, but he enjoyed seeing his opponent seeth. Before the Seirin ace could say anything in retaliation, the announcer's voice came through the intercom.

"Let the third quarter begin."

Sneakers on the wooden floorboards squeaked as the players ran to take control of the ball. The tension between the two teams was thick, and within the crowd, Takao was sitting next to Otsubo and watched in surprise as he noticed that Seirin's phantom was on the bench.

Midorima, who ultimately came despite telling his team he didn't want to come, and Kise, who had immediately recognized the green haired teen in his ridiculous 'disguise', stood in the balcony section of the bleachers and looked on with less astound since they knew what the Seirin coach was thinking.

"It's a necessary move; they couldn't afford to sub Kuroko out the first half. But I don't think they'll be able to endure this," Midorima observed, looking at Aomine.

"You're right," Kise watched the game with a conflicted expression. Aomine was too strong to have Seirin face him without Kuroko...

_But I feel that something's about to happen. He can do it._

The Touou players below took control of the ball and alternated passes to keep Seirin at bay. Once Wakamatsu got possession of the ball, he tossed it to Aomine.

_It'll all be him, not just now, but during the entire second half,_ Riko's chocolate brown eyes zeroed in on the tanned miracle's form. _The ace of the Generation of Miracles and a super scorer... _

"We're counting on you, Taiga-chan..." Tomoko affirmed, only loud enough for those around her to hear, but she knows the redhead had the same idea.

Aomine, dribbling the ball at his side, pierced his navy eyes at his opponent. He can see that Kagami was fired up; the male had formed an impenetrable barrier to block him. He smirked.

_It's pointless. _

Switching the ball to his other hand, he stepped back and boosted himself around the tall redhead and swiftly broke the barrier—all done within a second. Quick to react, however, Mitobe and Tsuchida jumped towards the basket to stop him from scoring. On cue, Aomine stopped and jumped backwards in a fade-away.

How fast he was on his feet—Aomine transcended even among the Generation of Miracles with agility.

But Kagami was behind him, smacking the ball out of the tanned male's hands seconds before it could descend into the net. He was still a bit slower than the miracle, but damn it all, he save it! Immediately, Hyuuga took hold of the ball and threw it as far as he could manage, hoping that Kagami would reach the other side fast enough. It was nothing compared to Kuroko's ignite pass, but it still threw Touou off-guard.

In possession of the ball, Kagami jumped to make the dunk.

"No you don't," Aomine flashed behind him in a heartbeat and returned the favor. He loomed down on Kagami's form with a satisfied smirk. "You think it's that easy to make a fast break?"

_This guy... He just jumped from the free throw line. Heh, he can't be serious. _

Aomine then scuffed with mock as Kagami stood back up. "Ah, enough..." It was time to cut the child's play.

"Honest basketball just isn't for me."

It was as if something in him changed after that.

From the bench, Tomoko could tell that the aura around the miracle was drastically different. She watched him sway back and forth, slowly and rhythmically, yet there seemed to be a trick in the eyes as his form doubled, tripled in shadows following his movement.

Both aces took off like ramming bulls. Suddenly, she saw the ball slip from Aomine's hand and flew behind both bodies. No, salmon eyes inspected his movements closer—he had purposely let the ball flip behind them!

He twisted his body in perfect rhythm to catch the ball. Again and again, he slipped past Kagami's mark and each step allowed him closer access to the net.

"Kuroko-kun, isn't that...?"

"It's street ball," Kuroko confirmed beside her. His lips were set in a tight line as Aomine continued to use unconventional moves to bypass the redhead's barrier. "Kagami-kun had said the people in America often played in that style."

_Not to mention, _his expression was grim. _This was Aomine-kun's old style of basketball, a style he'd learned and perfected at a young age when playing adults on the streets. _

"Kagami!" Tomoko shouted in worry when he fell from not being able to keep up with all the tricky movements.

Aomine glanced at her briefly, an ominous flash crossed his navy orbs seemingly conveying _'look at me'_ before his expression changed to a fully concentrated one; he leaped across the air and prepared to dunk the ball. Hyuuga, Mitobe, and Tsuchida simultaneously came up to block him, pushing him behind the net.

"We got him behind the basket!" Riko cheered with the team in relief. There was no way he could score now!

_Did we really stop him?_ Tomoko watched, wide-eyed; Aomine was smirking with that feral look on his face. In the split second that it took the three seniors to force him off the court, he seemed to already completely assessed his next move.

Without sparing another glance, he shot the ball behind him, sending it over the backboard. Horror struck Tomoko and her teammates' faces.

The ball landed into the net perfectly with a small _swoosh._

* * *

"Ah... That's Aomine-cchi for you..."

"As expected. There is no form to Aomine's dribbling or shooting."

Even though Midorima and Kise had been teammates with Aomine Daiki for three years, his formless play, or what Momoi would call a free-spirited style, still continues to surprise them.

In Teiko, it was Aomine who always set the bars higher above the others on the team. He practiced harder than anyone else, his strength grew faster than anyone else, he desired stronger opponents more than anyone else.

"He is limitless, impossible to defend against," Midorima remarked. "He is an unstoppable scorer."

And that was why he was named the ace of the Generation of Miracles.

* * *

_He's playing with them._

Aomine was slowly dribbling past Hyuuga; his form seemed to be slacking off as the ball slipped right towards the bespectacled captain. Taking the chance, Hyuuga reached in front of him to grab the ball, only to be met with emptiness as it was quickly stolen from him.

_His eyes are... Empty..._

It didn't matter how high Kagami jumped, either. He was all over the place—shooting at odd angles was almost _too_ easy for him.

"Kagami can't keep up to him," she didn't want to admit it, but it was the truth. The miracle made Kagami look completely useless against him.

The referee blew his whistle upon seeing the two struggle for the ball in mid-jump. Kagami was too close, his chest pushing on Aomine's back. He was a good foot higher than him. Yet, that didn't stop the tanned male.

He twisted his arm behind his back and released the ball over Kagami's body in an arch that was out of reach.

"Basket counts! One free throw!" the referee shouted.

"This isn't your basketball, is it? I've told you, you can't fight me alone," Aomine taunted Kagami.

Being caught up at realizing just how insane Aomine Daiki was at basketball, Tomoko hadn't noticed that the phantom had taken her hand to hold for assurance until he squeezed it—lightly, but with urgency.

"Kuroko-kun...?" she blinked at their intertwined hands before looking at her friend.

_He's mad._

Kuroko immediately let go, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Kuroko-kun." He was surprised when she brought his hands back, cupping them in her own warm ones. She clapped her hands together on his, and the small sting sent a refreshing jolt that immediately cleared his mind.

"It's not over yet," she said with confidence lacing her tone, "So don't let him get to you."

_"I'm a believer, remember?" _

Her words from the previous games rang in his head and Kuroko nodded. Throughout every game, she always knew what to say to lift up his and the team's spirits. They believed... Because Okuma Tomoko believed in them.

"Oi, Tetsu."

He glanced up with his unreadable sapphire eyes once again when Aomine walked over to the Seirin bench, breaking his revere.

"I think it's time for you to come out," Aomine grinned at his former partner. His voice held taunt and a bit of malice, "Let's settle this."

It was frustrating to hear that from the tanned miracle, but every one in Seirin knew that he _couldn't_ be beat with just Kagami out there. Third quarter was halfway over, and Seirin has yet to score.

They were now 20 points behind.

Riko's brows creased with internal conflict. She hated that her team was helpless against the miracle. It didn't help that his every action and comment was taking a harsh stab at her team, either. She gritted her teeth; it was time to prepare themselves for what's to come.

"Kuroko-kun..." Riko called out softly, still a little unsure.

"Let him go, Riko-san," Tomoko set a hand on the brunette's shoulder. Her eyes conveyed it all. _No matter how little chance we have... We must never give up._

Kuroko stood up, throwing his towel to the side. "I'm going." The tanned miracle quirked his lips in an amused smirk.

"That's right... Show me the strength of the new light and shadow."

The announcer called for a member change, and Tomoko watched the phantom go. _Kuroko-kun... Please hold on._

The whistle blew and the game was back into motion, the squeaking of sneakers was the only thing that echoed throughout the arena as everyone watched with absolute concentration.

The Touou captain, despite having Izuki mark him with his eagle eye, successfully passed the ball over to Wakamatsu and the blonde made a dash for the basket.

Once the ball flew in, Kuroko was immediately in action.

With the ball in the palm of his hand, he rotated twice to gain velocity and invisible wind seemed to swirl around his body in a furious tornado. In a second, the ball was tossed across the court with a speed normal people couldn't comprehend with their naked eyes.

_This was the same cross-court pass he used against Midorima-kun! _Tomoko watched with awe as she cheered loudly. The pass had caught the Touou captain off-guard, and the rest scrambled to to catch up with it before it reached Kagami, but he was already waiting for the impact.

Her eyes darted over to Aomine to see what he would do, but was shocked when she saw that he merely watched the ball fly past him before running behind Kagami.

His navy eyes were dark. Empty. Calculating.

Tomoko widened her eyes when Aomine caught up to Kagami._ He's too fast!_

But, knowing that the tanned male was at his trail, Kagami smirked and tossed the ball into the awaiting hands of Hyuuga. It was a three-pointer from there!

"Captain's in clutch time!" Tomoko grinned. Although, the way Aomine regarded Kuroko's pass with such indifference tugged at the back of her mind. It was almost like...

_...He wasn't worried._

Her heart pounded painfully when she realized the horrifying truth. She may not be good at analyzing the players the way Riko or Momoi was able to, but she _was_ sharp at noticing the little things a person does.

Aomine Daiki was easy to piece together. Little actions, such as the way he smirked after someone from her team did something, the fast shifting eyes that darted from one place to another, the way he carried himself with such confidence—it wasn't just because he was arrogant.

_"They were partners, you know." _

_"I used to be Tetsu's light."_

"He's_ used_ to Kuroko-kun's style," she stated softly; those two were partners for three years, after all. Riko looked at her worriedly.

"Okuma-chan, what do you—?"

_BAM!_

They saw Aomine grin at Kuroko, ball in hand, and Riko realized the meaning of the girl's comment.

"Who do you think has caught more of your passes?"

The crowd exclaimed their cries of shock and amazement when they witnessed the phantom's ignite pass being easily caught by the tanned miracle. Then, as if he was in a trace, Aomine blew past those who were in his way to the basket.

Izuki, Hyuuga, Mitobe, Kagami, Kuroko—

_All five players._

"You haven't changed at all, Tetsu," Tomoko heard the miracle say. "Your basketball will never win."

* * *

"Seirin, member change!"

"Kagami-kun."

Tomoko shot the coach a confused look, much like the rest of Seirin as she motioned for Kagami to come back to the bench as Tsuchida stretched his arms for a quick warm-up. Before she could ask, Riko interrupted her.

"Do you see the way he's walking?" she pointed out.

Tomoko stared at the redhead's leg that was taped up and tensed. She was watching Aomine so intently that she missed it! Kagami had been avoiding use of his injured leg while placing all the weight on the other one.

_Idiot... That'll only strain both of them!_

"The bandages are fine! Plus the game is still going on!" Kagami protested, unwilling to leave the court. They still had one quarter left!

"Just get over here!" Riko yelled, the seriousness and order in her voice caused the redhead to comply.

Watching them glare at each other like that, Tomoko understood the underlying meaning. Riko won't let Kagami play another minute of this game... Or the remaining two days of the championship league because of his leg.

Kagami sat down, his hands in fists. He was frustrated, angry. He didn't want it to be over.

_He hasn't given up at all,_ Tomoko couldn't help but smile at that, even though somewhere in her heart, she knew Seirin wasn't going to be winning this one.

* * *

Midorima pushed up his glasses and turned his back to the game. It was down to the last few minutes, but Seirin had been losing even before fourth quarter started.

Some of the fans in the crowd had already left, seeing that the game had become one-sided. With Aomine playing, that always happened. It wasn't that big of a surprise to them that Seirin wasn't able to subdued the ace of the Generation of Miracles.

"Midorima-cchi! Don't leave before the game ends!" Kise yelled, pulling on the Shutoku shooting guard's sleeve to prevent him from leaving.

Midorima let out an annoyed sigh. The score gap was just too wide; Touou had almost doubled Seirin. "Can't you see? No matter what they do now, they won't be able to win. Kagami is out of the game, and Kuroko's basketball is useless against Aomine."

_And I can imagine it being psychologically damaging for Kuroko._

"But we're here to support Kuroko-cchi no matter what!"

"No, I told you I just happened to be in the area!"

Kise pouted, his hand still gripping on to his former teammate's arm so he can force the miracle to stay until the end. "I think they would be happy to see that we came," he retorted, "especially Kuma-cchi."

A pair of determined salmon eyes and a happy lopsided grin popped into Midorima's mind.

_...I wonder how she is feeling about this, knowing Seirin can't win._

He turned back around stiffly and the yellow smiley face from his jack-in-the-box, his lucky item of the day, popped back out. "I'll only stay until the end game buzzer sounds."

* * *

112 to 55.

_We lost._

But despite the defeat, Tomoko was proud of her team. She had cheered and encouraged her team as loudly and as much as she possibly could, and Seirin never slowed down or gave up.

No matter how many times Aomine Daiki rammed past them, not once did they miss a beat. They never stopped chasing.

As her team trudged back, she walked up to them and opened up her arms.

"Okuma-chan..."

"Sorry, we..."

Tomoko shook her head, shushing her exhausted team up. "It's our tradition, right?" she told them with watery eyes, but she didn't want to cry. So she gave them a grin. "We always have a team hug after a game."

This was the first time she experienced a loss, but it was with a group of people she loved dearly, so she wanted to tell herself that it shouldn't hurt as much. But it did.

"We'll beat Touou next time... Okay?" a single tear escaped her eye, but she quickly wiped it away and waited for her teammates' responses.

The seniors and Kuroko looked at her, stunned, but soon they gladly complied and gathered together in a tight, heartfelt hug. Koganei pulled Riko, Kagami, and the rest of the first years in as well.

_We'll do better next time._

At the end, no more tears were shed.

* * *

_"It's not that easy. The Generation of Miracles' ace is off the charts."_

_-Otsubo Taisuke_

* * *

**Review?**


	15. Tomorrow is a New Day

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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Seirin's defeat was expected for many people who came to the game, having witnessed the same scenario since the prelims when Touou was playing. However, to those on Team Touou who actually played them on the court face-to-face, they knew that Seirin was different than the rest of their opponents.

Take Wakamatsu for example, who had expressed his surprise about Seirin's strength to Sakurai during the last few minutes of the Seirin-Touou game.

It was probably foolish to some... Seirin was the only team that has yet to give up and lose their will when facing defeat head on. They played until the last second...

They were scary strong in their own way. Wakamatsu thought back to how the redhead power forward looked when he was ordered back to the bench, how he was radiating so much rage and will to continue playing. _I've never seen anyone like him before._

But nonetheless...

"We destroyed our opponents in our first game of the championship league!" Wakamatsu shouted with high.

The rest of the guys of Touou, taking their rest in the locker room, disregarded the blonde's loud exclamation as it was also a normal occurrence when he wasn't picking a fight with a certain navy haired miracle.

"We know. You don't have to yell," Imayoshi replied in a chiding manner, expressing his annoyance. He just wanted some peace and quiet after a long game...

On the topic of winning, some guys off to the corner of the locker room also started to chat idly about the game.

"I thought they'd be stronger, you know, considering they beat Shutoku. That No. 11, Kuroko I think, was _especially_ weak towards the end! Did you see how he was real uptight about it until the very end? He should've just given up! Hah hah, Seirin turned out to be such a weak team. The one plus side they have though..." the brown haired second string player laughed with his friend, then turning to Momoi with a boastful grin on his face, "Say, Momoi-chan! You should give us hugs like their cute manager when we win—"

The second string didn't get to finish as Aomine suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed him forcefully on to the lockers lining the wall. His face contorted in pain and fear as he looked into Aomine's furious eyes.

"You sure as hell talk a lot for someone who didn't play," Aomine growled. "You want a 'good job' for sitting on the bench? Shut your annoying and pathetic mouth up before I do it for you."

"Aomine! Let go of him!" Wakamatsu yelled at the tanned miracle, coming up to stop the one-sided fight. Aomine shot the second string one last threatening glare before letting him go harshly. Without another word, he walked out of the locker room.

Momoi looked at the closed door with a bewildered expression. Aomine had always been protective over his Teiko teammates, no matter how he tried to act otherwise these days, but was there something else...?

"Aomine!" Wakamatsu wanted to go after the miracle, but he resolved to help the frightened second string up instead of running after a lost cause. "You okay?"

"Man... What's his problem..." the guy mumbled.

The annoyed scowl on Imayoshi's face deepened. Was some peace and quiet _that_ hard to ask for?

* * *

_BAM!_

Kagami slammed his fist at a locker, causing the metal structure to rattle.

The team looked at him with understanding. It was expected for the redhead to be frustrated after losing to Touou, especially since he had to sit out and watch it all happen. But to them, they would gladly lose the game than lose a valuable friend.

"Hey," Tomoko looked up at the redhead with worry. He hasn't said anything to anyone since he got pulled out of the game, but there was another problem that was more pressing—he still needed to get his legs check out. "We should get you to a hospital."

He only shrugged her off.

"Kagami...?" Tomoko was taken aback at his offhanded action.

Riko, sensing that the redhead wanted to be alone, beckoned for Tomoko and the rest. "We still have two more games! Come on guys, let's head back and get some rest!"

On cue, the team followed behind her and filed out of the locker room.

Tomoko started following only because of the older brunette's expectant gaze; she quickly looked back to see that Kuroko was still sitting on the bench with his back turned at her, and Kagami with an unreadable expression marring his face. She left them alone, albeit reluctantly.

She didn't realize then that this loss was going to test the strength of their bond in the coming weeks...

_Kagami sat out for the remainder of the games while Kuroko seemed to be experiencing a slump. What once were his flawless passes were full of holes and mistakes. Hyuuga and the rest tried their best, but... _

_With the defeat by both Meisei and Seishinkan, Seirin High School's attempt at the Interhigh ended._

_"Sometimes, even when we give everything we have, not every challenger can become a winner," Riko said to Tomoko after their last game. She was clutching her phone tightly in her hands as a reassuring smile surfaced._

_"We may have lost this time, but not all is lost. When one thing ends, another begins... It's not over yet!"_

.

_fifteen_

**tomorrow is a new day**

.

_It's not over yet._

Tomoko had continuously reminded herself that since Seirin's final game almost a week ago.

It wasn't at all that she lost faith in her team; quite the contrary, actually. Her determination was set stronger than ever to push her teammates out of their Interhigh defeat, and it worked, for the most part. The seniors were all back to their normal, goofy selves, and although there were no more official games for them, they continued to practice after school.

Everyone was back to normal...

_Except..._

Although Tomoko had recovered from the lost of Interhigh herself, she just couldn't quite grasp the feeling that everything was alright with the events that followed. She still felt like heavy stones were weighing down on her heart, suffocating her.

"Hey Kuroko-kun," she sat down next to the silent blue haired boy during their lunch period. Looking around, she realized that Kagami was yet again not in the classroom. She frowned. That was the source of her problem; it was becoming increasingly hard to even get a glimpse of the redhead these few days... "He left again?"

Ever since that day at the locker room, Kagami seemed to have stopped talking to them altogether. Because of strict doctor's order, he wasn't allowed to play basketball or perform any kind of strenuous physical activity for two whole weeks, but he had went a step further and stopped interacting with the basketball team for the time being. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that he was avoiding her and Kuroko.

_No, he IS avoiding us... _The look on Tomoko's face turned into that of frustration.

Kuroko only sipped on his milk carton casually, seemingly not that bothered by the redhead's absence. However, there was also a small pout on his face as well. "Okuma-san, you shouldn't wrinkle your forehead like that. It might stay that way," he told the frowning girl.

A giggle escaped from her lips and the frown morphed into a small, happy expression once again, "Ehhh, but you have that same look on your face, Kuroko-kun!"

"I do not..."

She shook her head and poked his forehead lightly, sobering down enough to give the blue haired male a serious look on her face. "You do. It's been there since the Touou game."

She figured that something must have happened during that time that made him more reserved than usual...

"Okuma-san, you saw the game with your own eyes. What is your opinion of Aomine-kun?" Kuroko asked out of the blue. His eyes told her that he was in pain—mentally.

_"I don't think we can win by just working together anymore."_

It was unknown to Tomoko, but what the redhead had said to him alone in the locker room was an eerie reminder of his last days at Teiko. Of Aomine.

"My opinion of him?" Tomoko tilted her head to the side, deep in thought. Aomine wasn't normal, that much she could say for certain. Watching him play was like watching magic being performed; he was _that _good. But she couldn't shake that vacant look he had in his eyes when he was playing out of her mind. "I think he's lonely," she finally answered, causing Kuroko to look up at her with surprise.

"Lonely?"

Tomoko nodded as her eyes clouded with sympathy, "He's lonely and everyone kind of just lets him be because he's good. Touou's a team with no chemistry or team play, and everyone always just gives Aomine-kun the ball and expects him to score... It seems like an ideal team for him because Teiko was the same way... Right?" she concluded. The smile on her face was sad.

Her assessment of Aomine was point-blank and very much accurate, the truth taking Kuroko back to his last days at Teiko when he tried, but failed to get the navy haired teen to participate in their team practices and restore their former partnership. He could still remember that day—it was raining, and the raindrops from the brewing storm streamed down Aomine's broken expression, making it unclear if he was crying.

_"Aomine-kun, let's go back to practice." _

_The rain poured down on a younger Kuroko and Aomine. The latter was unmoving as he stared out into the void. _

_"Why practice?" Aomine laughed. "I'm guaranteed to win any game anyway, aren't I?" _

_Kuroko frowned. Their coach had came to talk to Aomine earlier, right? Didn't he talk some sense into him? What _did_ he say to him? _

_"I understand how you feel, but..." he had tried to hold on to the Aomine who was always happy and sociable, the Aomine who threatened to quite the team when the coach wanted to demote the phantom to the lower team because of his inability to keep up with the miracles. But the Aomine now was so different and distant that he could hardly recognize him..._

_"Tell me, what could someone so powerless understand?"_

_Upon hearing that, Kuroko snapped._

_"...Even I get jealous of you and the others sometimes, but I know it's no use crying about it!" Despair and anger laced the phantom's voice, "That's why I do my best to pass_—_"_

_A mocking laugh from Aomine seemed to cut through him like a blade. "Who do you pass to? Even without your passes, I can beat anyone by myself. H__ow long as_ _it been since the last time you did?"_

_Kuroko didn't know how to respond to his broken partner's question. How could he, when he was broken himself?_

_"Ha... I don't even know how to receive your passes anymore."_

Everything else had just gone downhill from there. He had come back to the gym to find that Akashi had dismissed the rest of the Generation of Miracles from practice just has long as they win games. It broke him to know that the very teammates who have cheered him on and encouraged him to play basketball were the ones who lost all _joy _in basketball.

And he had just stood there and watched it all happen.

_Powerless. _

"Kuroko-kun!"

Kuroko blinked at his name being called as a small _click _went off. Tomoko was holding her phone camera in front of her. "You're sad again," she said before a small laugh escaped her lips. "You're really strong, Kuroko-kun, but you're so quiet that sometimes I forget you're suffering too. But we'll get through it together, okay?"

He stared at her with his signature blank look, wondering just how the caramel haired girl could detect any kind of expression on his face when he thought he displayed none.

"You always have that gloomy look in your eyes when you're thinking about the past," Tomoko grinned, reading his thoughts. Flipping her phone around, she pointed at the screen showing the phantom his 'gloomy' eyes. "See?"

Kuroko nodded confusingly. It was his normal neutral face.

However, looking satisfied at his agreement, she flipped the phone back around and aimed the camera at him again. "Hey, say 'cupcake'!"

"...Cupcake."

_Click._

Grinning, Tomoko showed the confused male the picture this time. When he had said the word, she snapped the picture and perfectly captured the moment when his lips lifted up at the '-kay' syllable _(cap-pu-kay-key)_.

The picture looked a bit awkward since he was in mid-talk, but it did look like he was smiling.

"Kuroko-kun is cuter when he smiles," Tomoko laughed softly, "Like Number 2!"

"Okuma-san..." Kuroko started to say, but she held her phone close to her protectively to shield him away.

"Too bad~ I'm not deleting it."

Kuroko blinked and looked to the side. He hadn't meant that he wanted to delete the picture, but knowing that she wouldn't made his cheeks heat up slightly. If one was looking close enough, a small blush could be seen on his stoic face.

"Oh, that reminds me... I made a lot of cupcakes in my home economics class yesterday and left them there," Tomoko realized suddenly, standing up. "Wait here Kuroko-kun, I'll go bring them here for you and the team later!"

"..."

Kuroko watch her skip out of his classroom, his half-eaten lunch was forgotten as he tried to figure out the caramel haired girl. Although she said that he was strong, Kuroko felt that the strongest one on the team was_ her. _It was such a treasure to have someone who could be so optimistic and supportive, so loving and bright.

He didn't want to be a disappointment for her...

But he's just simply not strong enough.

* * *

"Hitomi-chan, what are you doing here?"

Upon walking in to Hanase-sensei's home economics classroom, Tomoko found her timid classmate sitting alone at one of the kitchen counters, eating her lunch.

The girl squeaked, "O-Okuma-san!"

Tomoko took the container of frosted cupcakes out from the giant fridge before bounding over to Hitomi. "Do you eat here everyday?"

"Um, no," Hitomi said softly, letting out a small sigh as she tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. "I usually eat with m-my friend up on the roof, but she's not here today and there's t-this scary guy up there..."

"Huh? Scary guy?" Tomoko handed the girl a cupcake as she asked in wonder. "Here, take a cupcake!"

"O-Oh! Thanks..." she took it gingerly, a happy smile spread across her face when she looked at the sweet confection. "And, um, he has red hair and a really mean glare... He was j-just staring at a basketball like it owed him money o-or something!"

At first the description didn't click with Tomoko, but the mention of basketball made her realize just who Hitomi was talking about. It has been days since she's last seen the redhead, and now she knew where he's been hiding during the day!

"You're talking about Kagami, right?!"

Hitomi squeaked again, shriveling down further in her seat. "I-I didn't know he was you're friend! I'm s-sorry!"

"No, no!" Tomoko quickly thanked the girl before dashing out of the classroom. "Thank you, Hitomi-chan!"

"E-Eh?"

* * *

Her mind was racing a million miles a minute when she saw Kagami, who, true to Hitomi's words, was sitting against a corner of the roof with a basketball in hand, glaring with concentration.

She walked over to him, "Are you having a ball up here by yourself?"

The usual twitch of annoyance surfaced on Kagami's brows when Tomoko dropped one of her puns, but he said nothing and continued to stare off into the distance with the basketball twirling in his hand.

Tomoko puffed up her cheeks.

"You're weak."

Kagami paused, a look of guilt washing over his features. Those two words seemed to strike right through him. _Even she's disappointed in me. I am weak... I wasn't strong enough for Kuroko or the seniors. I couldn't do anything against Aomine—_

"Before you get any ideas, losing didn't make you weak. You're weak because you're running away instead of facing your fears," Tomoko clarified matter-of-factly. "Why are you ignoring us and sulking in the corner by yourself?"

Kagami's brow shot up incredulously, "Sulking in the corner? Listen—" he didn't get to finish his sentence as something slimy smashed into his face. A frosted cupcake slowly slid off and fell onto the ground. "What the hell?!" he glared at Tomoko; she had two more cupcakes in her hands.

Two _splats_ could be heard against the wall as Kagami was ready this time around and dodged the oncoming flying desserts. He regretted not noticing the big container she was carrying earlier.

"That's for ignoring me and Kuroko-kun and skipping practice," she stuck out her tongue, grabbing another two cupcakes to throw. "Prepare yourself!"

_Damn it, what the hell?!_

"Oi—Stop it!" Kagami continued to dodge his way over to the angry girl, quickly grabbing a hold of her arms before she could make a bigger mess on the roof. "Hey!"

Tomoko was glaring hard when he finally restrained her from attacking. She harshly tugged at her arm to break free of his hold. "I'm not sorry because you're acting like an idiot," she jerked and caused him to loosen his hold on her arms.

"_I'm_ acting like an idiot?!"

"Bakagami!"

There was a few moments of silent glares between them before Kagami sighed and rubbed his head. He grunted softly, "I didn't mean to ignore you. I just have some things on my mind."

"Whatever it is, you know you can count me, on the team!" Tomoko pouted defiantly. His explanation wasn't giving her a satisfying reason for his absence. "Kuroko-kun and the rest have been worried since it's like you just disappeared!"

"I'm trying to put some distance between Kuroko and I for the time being," Kagami looked away.

"What?" It was her turn to raise an incredulous brow. "Why? You guys are partners!"

Without Kagami, it seemed like the usual Seirin team dynamic was lacking. The team felt _broken._ Kagami's sudden withdrawal was worrisome and she saw how it effected Kuroko—how it seemed to further push him down his slump.

Although she didn't believe it would ever happen, the worst case scenario _was _that Kagami would hurt Kuroko like his former teammates did.

"I have to be strong enough to take the Generation of Miracles on my own," Kagami replied, gripping the orange ball in his palm with determination. He saw dread flash across the girl's salmon pools but before she could voice her objection, he set his large hand on top of her head with reassurance. "I'm not abandoning the team, brat. I'm just trying to work something out. Put some more trust me."

Tomoko was left speechless for once. Of course she trusted Kagami—she was just upset that he had stop stopped interacting with the basketball team. She finally sighed and a grin stretched on her lips, "I'll always trust you, Taiga-chan!"

"Next time show some of that _before _bombing me with cupcakes, yeah?" he grumbled, though there was a small grin of his own present.

"What is the meaning of _this_?!" a voice suddenly interrupted their peace with an incredulous shrill.

They turned around to see an older teacher gawking incredibly at the disaster they were standing in. Tomoko had gotten a little carried away with her cupcake bombs... Looking around, she realized that the whole half of the rooftop was covered in fluffy cake crumbles and thick, colorful frosting.

"How dare you two treat the rooftop as a playground! This is _completely_ outrageous!" the teacher reprimanded, giving the two the lecture of the century as he carried on about a student's responsibilities and maturity.

"This is all your fault," Kagami whispered to Tomoko as quietly as he could, trying hard not to laugh at the fuming man standing in the middle of a cupcake and frosting battlefield. Was he suppose to look authoritative...?

"Sugar and spice doesn't make _everyone_ nice..." Tomoko giggled back as the redhead rolled his eyes.

"Are you two even listening?!" the teacher yelled, the crease between his forehead seemed to stack on top of each other like a thousand-paged book.

"Yes sir!" they squeaked simultaneously. The warning bell for class chimed and they thanked every deity above for that distraction. However, the old instructor wasn't done yet.

"Clean this up right now! And then come back after school to scrub the place down! I expect this roof to be spotless when you're done—or else I will send you both to detention for a week!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

* * *

Koganei gathered his things inside the gym's locker room with the rest of the team after their long practice. He stuffed his used towel and shirt into his gym bag before looking up in wonder. "Ah... Kagami didn't show up today, either."

"Neither did Okuma-chan," Izuki commented, stretching his sore muscles. The week following their loss at Interhigh was filled with three times the training regimen, courtesy of Riko. They were all working harder than ever to have a shot at the upcoming Winter Cup.

Although it was going to take some time to heal from old wounds, Izuki could say that the upperclassmen were taking it fairly well. Not the same could be said about the first year trio, however. Izuki and the rest could see that there was some unspoken tension between the three ever since the end of the championship league.

The cat like teen let out a long sigh, "Is Okuma-chan starting to skip out on our practices as well? I can see why Kagami's gone, since he's injured, but Okuma-chan..."

An irritated tick went off in Hyuuga at the mention of the redhead skipping out. The others inched away slowly as he emitted a demonic aura, "He might be hurt, but he's got some balls not to show up... And he's influenced Okuma to do the same! I'll hit him the next time I see him!"

"Okuma-san isn't skipping," Kuroko said from the corner as he finished changing. His voice was soft and even,. "She told me she had to clean up the roof."

"Hah? Why the roof?" the team asked in unison.

"I'm not sure; that's all she told me."

Koganei sighed in relief; at least the manager wasn't skipping. "What about Kagami then? Kuroko, you're in Kagami's class, right? Do you know anything?" he asked in lieu of the new information. The phantom blinked and answered with a tone that was flatter than usual.

"No. I haven't spoken with him."

"What?" Hyuuga bellowed with disbelief, "You could have asked him something!"

"Sorry," Kuroko turned around to face the captain with an expressionless face. Number 2 stood from his sitting position and trotted behind his owner as he got ready to leave. "But recently, it's been a little difficult for me to talk to Kagami-kun. I'll be leaving now, good work."

The seniors watched with surprise as he left without another word.

"There's definitely something going on between them... Is he going to be okay?" Izuki finally questioned.

"He'll be fine," Hyuuga replied.

"I think Kagami will be, but Kuroko... Maybe he's run up against a wall or something."

Hyuuga looked at the point guard briefly and then set his eyes back towards the door that Kuroko walked out of. "Ugh... There's always more to worry about," he sighed, zipping up his gym bag. "But if anything, I'm sure they'll be able to pull through this. Don't forget we have Okuma; she's kind of like the glue that keeps Kuroko and Kagami together, isn't she?"

The others thought about it momentarily and nodded, all agreeing that their manager's quirky optimism had worked on the team and pushed them through the hardest obstacles many times before.

"But Okuma-chan seemed a bit down these days too," Koganei stated. When they're at practice, he could tell that Kagami's absence bothered her greatly. She made it her mission to find the redhead, but she would always come back with a frustrated frown on her face. "I don't think it will work if Kagami is avoiding Kuroko and Okuma-chan altogether."

Hyuuga rubbed his head tiredly as another sigh escaped his mouth. He had a hunch about that... But that'll just have to be solved when time comes. "Well... Riko did say Seirin's official ace is coming back." Earlier, Riko had announced to the team that Kiyoshi Teppei was coming back soon, earning surprised looks from the second-years and confusing the first-years.

If there was anyone who could piece anything back into a whole without fail, it was _him. _

"Senpai, what is Teppei-san like?" Kawahara asked with interest as they walked out of the building. It was getting dark outside.

"Huh? Ah..." there was a mix of weary and exasperation in Hyuuga's expression as he tried to think of the proper word to describe the 'mysterious' ace. "Teppei is weird."

All three first-years looked puzzled at the explanation. The bespectacled captain looked ahead of him with revere.

"However, I owe him. He's the one who encouraged me to play basketball..."

* * *

It was already turning dark when Tomoko finished cleaning the rooftop with Kagami. The redhead had left first, saying that he had to go to the doctor for his routine check-up and left her at school alone.

Tomoko looked up to the sky; it was a soft shade of midnight blue and clear enough to see the stars that were slowly emerging. There was a particular bright star that caught her eye, and she closed them briefly as a thought crossed her mind.

_I hope Kuroko-kun and Kagami will work everything out soon._

"Huh, there's still people here."

Pools of salmon opened back up as and the sight of an unfamiliar, tall brunette male smiling pleasantly at her filled the once-empty space before her. He caught her confused look and wiggled a bag of Brown Sugar Candy in front of her.

"Want some?" he offered.

She hesitated momentarily before reaching out her hand. He dropped three brown candies in her palm and gave her a satisfied nod.

"Candy always cheer people up," he said. "You look like you needed some cheering up, _ojou-chan_."

"Um, thank you," Tomoko smiled up at the brunette. He wasn't wearing Seirin's male uniform, but then again he could have just changed out of it after school had ended. "Are you visiting?" she asked after popping the candy into her mouth.

"Kind of," the male explained cheerfully. "I'll be starting classes next week."

"You're a transfer?" Tomoko exclaimed with stars in her eyes. She hopped around the tall male excitedly, only now starting to assess his built physique and started rambling. "Seirin's a great school, so you won't be disappointed. Have you thought about a club you'd like to join yet? You're really tall and you look like you could play basketball! Come to our basketball team! We're great!" she advertised proudly.

The male's large hand came down to ruffle her hair as he laughed amusingly. "Actually, I'm already part of the team."

"...Eh?"

"You must be Okuma Tomoko, the first-year manager Riko told me about," he smiled, "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Kiyoshi Teppei, the creator of Seirin High School's basketball team."

Blink.

Blink.

His introduction came out as such a surprise that Tomoko blanked out for a second. She wasn't there when Riko explained about the return of Kiyoshi Teppei, so naturally it took her a while to put two and two together.

"W-Wow! Are you really—" she babbled excitedly, her arms flailing around in crazy hand motions, "I've never seen you before! What—Where were you all this time?"

Teppei laughed good-naturedly at how animate the girl was, "I sustained a knee injury during my first year, so I was sent to rehab for a while." He watched as the expression on her face drop slightly.

"Did... Did you get the injury playing basketball?"

"Ah, yeah, I was careless," he was still smiling cheerfully, which confused Tomoko greatly. "But I'm really glad to be back! I've been wanting to play again for a long time, having only being able to watch videos of others play while I was in the hospital. Basketball's fun when you're playing together with your team, don't you agree?"

She was happy to hear those words, having thought the same thing. Tomoko broke into a grin, "I do!"

"I should thank you for helping to take care of the team while I was gone, too," Teppei said, glad that he lifted her spirits up. He stretched, "Ah, now where's the gym?"

He started marching towards the direction of the gym after spotting it, but a gasp from Tomoko stopped him. He looked back at her, a small bewildered look etched on his face.

"Oh no... I didn't tell captain or Riko-san about my absence today!" She had completely forgotten to tell the team her reason of not being there. She didn't want them to think that she intentionally skipped out!

"That shouldn't be a problem," Teppei took her hand and pulled her with him, continuing down the path to the gym. "We'll just tell them now. Let us head to the gym and surprise Hyuuga and the rest!"

"...Yeah!" Tomoko brightened up, but then it immediately fell back down. "Wait, Kiyoshi-san!"

"Hm?" he hummed cheerfully.

"Practice was over thirty minutes ago..."

They both stopped before the doors of the gym. Looking at each other blankly for not realizing it sooner, they soon both cracked a sheepish grin and chuckled to themselves.

"I guess I'll just have to wait until next week," Teppei rubbed his head, turning back with the girl dejectedly. Just then, the door of the gym opened, revealing a certain blue haired phantom and his look-alike husky puppy. The phantom was surprised to see the two as they were to see him.

"Kuroko-kun! Number 2!" Tomoko piped happily and ran up to scoop up the equally excited pup. "You're still here after practice?" she asked Kuroko.

"I was practicing my shots," he said evenly, his sapphire eyes gazed at Teppei questionably. "Okuma-san, you and this person are still here as well?" Tomoko nodded.

"Hello. I'm Kiyoshi Teppei," the brunette introduced. Like a habit, he showed Kuroko his bag of candy. "Would you like some candy?"

"No thank you," Kuroko replied. "You're Kiyoshi-san?"

"Ah~" Teppei nodded, taking a hard sugar candy for himself. "You're practicing even after the club is over... Hm," his words were little muffled by the candy as he chewed, "so I take it that you really aren't good at anything but passing?"

The phantom looked slightly offended at the older male's comment.

"Kuroko-kun's really amazing though," Tomoko defended and Number 2 barked in agreement. Teppei looked at them with a pleased look on his face.

"And I agree. It doesn't matter if passing is your only strong point. I like your basketball," he told Kuroko. "You're not wrong, just inexperienced. I've heard great things about you... So I find you very interesting, Kuroko Tetsuya."

"I've never seen a specialist as extreme as you," he continued as Kuroko and Tomoko silently listened on. He knew all about Kuroko's ability; after all, Riko did send him the videos of Seirin's official games to keep him posted on the team. "It's extraordinary to specialize so thoroughly in a single thing." He then gave Kuroko a pointed look, "Even so, you feel as if your ability has stagnated, don't you?"

The phantom didn't reply, but he already knew the answer.

"But aren't _you_ the only one assuming that's your limit? We're still in high school, you know. Believe in your own potential a little more," Teppei inclined his head towards the caramel haired manager; his expression was serious. "After all, a believer can only believe as much as the person they're rooting for allows."

Tomoko and Kuroko both looked startled at his last comment. It was like he knew them despite his absence...

"Woah, look at the time!" Teppei said immediately after with his normal cheerful face as he glanced at the sky. "I'll see you two next week," he waved and suddenly dashed away.

And just like that he was gone, leaving the two first-years and the husky pup behind, thoroughly bewildered at his parting words.

"...We should head home too, Okuma-san," Kuroko then said, closing up the gym. Number 2 bounced around their feet as they made their way out of the school. They walked together in comfortable silence. The older male's words seemed to put them at ease.

"That was... Kiyoshi Teppei," Tomoko finally spoke up, though it was more of a respecting muse than anything. She gazed at Kuroko briefly and saw that he had the same awed expression (though less noticeable) as herself and she smiled.

_The creator of Seirin High School's basketball team..._

_He's kind of cool._

* * *

Later on that night, after the Okumas had finished their dinner, Tomoko helped her mom wash and set the dishes away while looking deep in thought. Her concentrated expression didn't go unnoticed by the older women.

"Thinking about something?" she asked, the dried plate in her hands clanked softly against the cabinet as she put it away.

Tomoko looked into her mom's warm salmon eyes and nodded. "I met a really interesting guy today, mom! He's the one who formed our basketball team and he's coming back next week."

"That's good to hear," Chiharu said merrily. "It sounds like you have high hopes for this person."

"Who's our little kuma talking about this time?" Yuuma asked as he came up behind his two precious people. Tomoko shut off the faucet as the last plate was washed and turned to her dad; there was a hopeful sparkle in her eyes.

"His name is Kiyoshi Teppei. He's only a second-year, but he kind of talks like an old man," Tomoko laughed, thinking back to how the male offered hard candies like a grandpa would. "I really think the team will become even greater with him there."

Yuuma hummed in thought.

_Kiyoshi Teppei, huh?_ Whatever the case, this person seemed to have lifted his daughter's spirits tremendously, and he was appreciative of it. He had noticed how Tomoko had been moping around the past week. She had tried to hide it, but the girl's face was a TV of emotions; it wasn't hard to see it.

"I guess your mom and I have nothing to worry about then," he replied with a chuckle.

"Eh?" Tomoko sounded confused as she blinked at her dad.

"Never mind," he waved it off and turned to his wife. "Honey, didn't Ichirou call earlier?"

Chiharu was wiping her hands off with a dry towel when his question suddenly sparked her memory. "Oh! That's right," she smiled at Tomoko, "Tomo, you should give your brother a call back. It's your turn this weekend, remember?" Tomoko widened her eyes in realization and nodded.

"I'll go call him right now! Goodnight mom, dad!" she kissed them both on the cheek before running up to her room.

After a second, Yuuma looked at his loving wife and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"You know... I sure want to meet this basketball team that's giving our daughter the ride of her life."

Chiharu laughed, "Ah, they're a colorful bunch of kids."

* * *

_"Aww, when Okuma-chan is feeling down, it brings our morale down, too."_

_-Koganei Shinji_

* * *

**Which ships would you guys like to see more often?**


	16. Ichirou's Unwitting Predicament!

Interlude time! This is set within the week before Teppei and Kagami comes back to the team. I wanted to spice things up... Or maybe sweeten? Hint hint. *Gene Wilder smile*

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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The bouncing of a basketball could be heard from Shutoku High's giant gymnasium early Saturday morning. The captain of the Shutoku basketball team, Otsubo Taisuke, was there working on a few moves before the rest of his team came in for morning practice.

Off to the side, Midorima had also came in a little early and was shooting hoops by himself.

"Otsubo-san!" Takao greeted cheerfully as he walked into the gym, holding a magazine in his hands. "Who's Seirin's No. 7?" he asked. He was reading an old article about the mysterious Seirin player on his way here, and he figured that since the captain was a third year, he would know.

"No. 7?" Otsubo echoed as the ravenette showed him the picture in the old article. "Ah, must be him."

"Him?"

Otsubo nodded. "The guy who was Seirin's center last year. Their team used to revolve around his and their No. 4 Hyuuga's cooperative inside and outside play, but for some reason, he didn't show up at the championship league. If he had been there, we probably wouldn't have tripled their score," he explained, gripping the basketball in his hands as his expression hardened. "No, we may even have lost."

_Impossible... _Needless to say, the captain's sincere words shocked Takao greatly._ Last year they didn't have Kuroko or Kagami, and they had only just formed!_

"I think you're giving too much credit to them!" Takao laughed, turning to address his green haired friend. "Right, Shin-chan?"

The ball in Midorima's hands fell into the net neatly. "I know him."

"What?"

"From middle school," Midorima told him. "We only played him once, but I remember him. It was before Kuroko joined, so he probably does not know about him."

Takao quirked a questioning brow, "Then, what's he like?" The green in the miracle's eyes swirled to a darker tone as he remembered how Kiyoshi Teppei played during middle school.

"It was similar to the recent Touou game. In the face of overwhelming odds, just like Kuroko, he refused to give up until the very end."

_He's another Kuroko, then?_ Takao wondered, eyes then narrowing afterwards at Midorima. _Wait, he knew what happened during the Touou game?_

"You ended up going to see the championship league!" Takao teased with a sly grin, forgetting about the Seirin player as the notion of making fun of the green haired miracle was much more interesting. "_'I don't want to see it,'_ my ass! You're such a tsundere!"

"I simply live nearby," Midorima denied, going back to his three-pointers.

"You're lying! You live in the opposite direction! I know!" the ravenette roared with laughter, "Girls don't like guys who are dishonest, Shin-chan!"

Midorima started walking away to the other side of the court.

"You couldn't resist... You cared how Seirin did!" Takao continued with mirth, following behind and not caring that he was getting on the green haired miracle's nerves. "Was seeing Tomo-chan part of the factor?" he asked suspiciously.

"That is the stupidest thing that has come out of your mouth so far, Takao."

"Aww, really though! Did you see Tomo-chan after the game?" the ravenette calmed his excitement by a few levels. "From where I sat, I think I saw her cry a little."

Midorima didn't say anything, only picking up another basketball to shoot.

"She sounded really sad when I asked her about it, too! She said that her team was recovering but Kagami and Kuroko seemed to be at odds," Takao remarked offhandedly, though he was actually carefully assessing his friend's expression. He thought he saw a small twitch from the miracle and he addressed what he assumed was Midorima's unspoken question. "Oh, I got Tomo-chan's number when we saw her at that ice cream shop! You were being tsundere and left early that day, remember? Are you worried about her?"

"I never asked," Midorima droned, annoyed. He would never admit _out loud_ that he was just a little worried. Plus it wasn't like she was interesting or anything.

"Hm? Do you want her number, Shin-chan? I can give it to you and you can try to cheer her up!"

"Like I said, I never asked!"

* * *

...

From: Unknown number

To: Okuma Tomoko

_The lucky item for Libras today is a noraemon figurine._

(08:11)

...

...

From: Unknown number

To: Okuma Tomoko

_I did not ask for your number. Takao was being stupid and added your number into my phone when I was not looking._

(08:12)

...

Tomoko stared at her phone blankly, "This is from... Midorima-kun?" It was a random message, but it sounded like something Midorima would say.

It was the weekend, and she was heading towards Tokyo's Metro Station when her phone buzzed with the notifications. To say she was surprised that the green haired miracle would even contact her was an understatement, though she didn't mind it at all that he did. It actually made her quite giddy.

From all of the times she's talked to Midorima, he was always aloof and acted like he didn't like her, or her team for that matter, but from Takao's description of his friend, she came to learn that it wasn't how he really felt.

Besides, it wasn't like she was one to cower when someone expressed their dislike for her. Unknown to her, most would probably agree that she was another Takao when it came to dealing with Midorima Shintarou.

Tomoko giggled afterwards, quickly typing a witty reply to the miracle.

...

From: Okuma Tomoko

To: Midorima Shintarou

_I'll keep that in mind, Midorima-kun! I feel *fortunate* to receive your text~! _

(08:14)

...

Satisfied, she continued her short walk to the station. Every other week the Okuma siblings would alternate visiting each other. This week was Tomoko's turn. It was early, but Akita was a few hours away by train from Tokyo, so she had to be early if she wanted to get there before noon.

The loud voice from the intercom projected above the people inside the busy station, announcing the following trains that were stopping here in the next few minutes. Tomoko got in line to buy her metro ticket to Akita and after she paid for the slip of paper, she noted that her train wouldn't come for another ten minutes, so she sat down on a nearby bench to wait for her train.

Everyone else around her were busy heading to their designation, whether it was getting on the metro or getting off it, they all walked with a purpose in mind. Tomoko's surroundings soon became a blur of movements and she zoned out. But then, something—or rather, someone—caught her attention.

The first thing she noticed was that he had peculiar hair. It was almost like pudding; black roots peeked out from the top of his head as the rest were dyed blonde.

He had a small stature as well; his shoulders hunching slightly in a timid manner as he navigated his way around everyone else. Even though it looked like he wasn't paying any attention since his eyes were concentrated solely on the game console in his hands, he seemed to be able to avoid the others expertly.

His cat-like eyes glanced at the bench she was sitting at briefly and quickly made his way over to sit on the far end of the chair. He set his big gym bag down and once again concentrated back to his game; however, he seemed to have felt her eyes on him and he blinked at her with anxiety evident in his golden eyes.

"Oh! I'm sorry for staring!" Tomoko apologized sheepishly once she was caught. Having her talk to him made him more nervous—she saw that he was trying to move away from her and she called him back, "You can sit here! I won't bite, I promise."

He glanced at her nervously and sighed, sitting back down. Tomoko smiled brightly.

"I'm sorry if I scared you!"

"No..." he said so softly that she almost had to strain her ears to hear him above the loud crowd, "I'm just not good with people and I don't want to interact with them."

"Eh? Well... It gets kind of boring just sitting here alone. Do you mind if I talk to you while I wait for my train?" Tomoko asked him sincerely, trying to break him out of his social anxiety.

"I guess..." he trained his eyes back on his game. Tomoko flashed him another smile and scooted closer to the boy.

"Are you here by yourself? You're wearing a sports tracksuit, so are you on some sort of sports team? In junior high maybe? I'm a basketball team manager at Seirin High!"

"No, I'm waiting for my friend. He's running a little late..." he responded before looking up into her eyes for a split second, showing little indication that he was overwhelmed by her questions. "And I'm on the volleyball team at Nekoma High. I'm a second-year."

Tomoko widened her eyes, "Really?! Woah, you're my senpai then!" she exclaimed, then quickly apologizing once again for thinking he was a middle school student. Granted he was the same size as her, she thought that he was younger simply because he was looked so meek and little when he was so focused on his video game.

"It's okay," he said as his mind seemed to travel elsewhere; his expression then soften a little when he looked at her this time. "Shouyou thought the same."

"Is that the friend you're waiting for?" she cocked her head to the side.

"No, Shouyou lives in Miyagi. Kuro and I are heading there."

"I see!" Tomoko exclaimed good-naturedly, having figured out small details about the boy. "We're going to the same region then!"

"Where are you going?" he asked with a small hint of curiosity.

The intercom above them clicked and a women's voice came through with a new announcement. _"The train to the Akita Prefecture will arrive shortly. Passengers, please be prepared to board."_

"There," Tomoko grinned as she pointed to the ceiling, indicating that the announcer said her location. She stood up and stuck her hand out in front of the pudding head second-year. "I should go now; thanks for talking to me! I think you're pretty good with people, so you don't have to be so nervous around them!" she smiled.

He blinked at her outstretched hands and took it cautiously. _I seemed to be okay with people who act like Shouyou, I guess..._ he thought to himself as she took his hand and shook it energetically. Good thing Kuroo wasn't here to witness their exchange; the black haired captain would surely pester and tease him for it.

A rumble from the left side signaled the arrival of the train; Tomoko let go of his hands and gathered her things as the train stopped in front of her. The door opened and she stepped into the train, but then she paused and turned to look at the pudding head again.

"I forgot to introduce myself earlier, but it was nice meeting you! I'm Okuma Tomoko. Let's meet again someday...?"

"Kozume Kenma."

She nodded and waved goodbye just as the train doors closed. Kenma watched the train leave; he had been slightly taken aback at her request, but he decided that if they did meet again, it wouldn't be so bad to have another Hinata Shouyou around.

* * *

"My cute imouto-chan~!" Ichirou greeted once he picked Tomoko up from the Akita Metro Station. He slung his arm around her neck, "How was the train ride?"

Tomoko rubbed her eyes and yawned, "I fell asleep. You should carry me back, Ichi-nii," she joked as her brother's lips pursed in thought.

"That would make me look lame, but... I'll do it if you make me some apple pie~"

"_Pride_ and _Gluttony_ are sins!" Tomoko grinned and playfully punched the taller male's shoulder, "I read that in my English Literature book."

Her English pronunciation of the two aforementioned sins were a little off but with significant improvement; it was no secret that the caramel haired girl wasn't the best at English. But nonetheless, Ichirou was very proud of her for retaining any information from her worst subject.

"Have you been practicing your English? I can help tutor you, if you want," he offered as they walked down the streets towards his small apartment near his university campus.

"That's okay! Kise-kun's really good at English and I've been understanding more since he's been tutoring me sometimes at night."

Ichirou immediately stopped his tracks. It was like time suddenly froze over as the idea of his precious baby sister having late-night study sessions with that devious blonde model flooded his mind. Panic struck his entire being.

_Have they been meeting up at night? Mom and dad allowed this?!_ A demonic aura fired up around him, causing some people on the streets to glance at him weirdly. "Tomoko!" he pointed dramatically at his sister's still walking figure ahead of him. "I can't allow these secret meet-ups!"

She craned her head back and gave him a blank stare. "What are you talking about? It's too late to meet up at night. Kise-kun tutors me over the phone when he has free time."

There was a small sigh of relief from the tall male, but he still wasn't satisfied. "You call him every night?"

"Not _every_ night... And usually he calls me."

Ichirou didn't know how he felt about that, but one thing was for sure: Kise Ryouta just moved up on the list of people he didn't like.

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_sixteen_

**ichirou's unwitting predicament!**

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The siblings reached the apartment in no time and Tomoko set her bag on the ground before flopping herself down on the sofa.

She's only visited Akita two times since the start of her school year in Tokyo; when she was here, they would usually just spend their time together catching up at home or Ichirou would take her out to an interesting shop or restaurant as a treat.

_Akita definitely isn't as busy as Tokyo,_ Tomoko thought, rolling over the sofa and watching her brother check the schedule he's written on the calendar hanging on the wall.

"Tomoko, do you want to visit Akita University today? The biology wing recently got a cool avian exhibit!" he asked casually, turning to face the girl with a positive expression. He had momentarily gotten over his previous turmoil and was acting normal again.

Okuma Ichirou could have quite the bi-polar personality when time called for it. Nonetheless, Tomoko didn't mind—or cared, for that matter. Often times, it went unnoticed by her since she thought it was just something normal for her brother.

Tomoko remembered visiting the college once a long time ago when her brother was in high school; she had tagged along with Ichirou to check out the campus and requirements to get in. "Sure! But first, I'll head out to buy some ingredients," she said, sitting back up.

"Huh? Why?"

Tomoko answered her brother's confusion with a grin. "You wanted some apple pie, right?" The older Okuma's eyes sparkled enthusiastically and she giggled. Grabbing the small bag on the ground, she swung it over her shoulder carelessly and bounced over to the door.

"Do you want me to come with you?" her brother asked.

"I'll be fine, Ichi-nii!" she waved him off, opening the apartment door and mentally mapping the directions in her mind before confirming it. "The supermarket is two blocks down... And to the left!"

"It's to the _right_!" Ichirou called after her with exasperation before she left, making sure she heard him. Though, he told himself to not worry that much. Nothing can possibly go wrong, anyway.

He shut the door and headed back towards the kitchen to pour himself a glass of milk, not yet noticing the pink wallet that was neglected on the ground.

* * *

_Ding!_

Tomoko entered the cool supermarket with a giddy smile on her face; the rows of colorful packages and assortments were glittering in front of her eyes with allure. In actuality, shopping for food and pastry ingredients always caused a sort of excitement in her.

_Uwhaaaa! _Her salmon eyes darted from side to side, acting like a child in a candy store. _If only I had enough money to buy everything!_

Clearing the swirling colors out of her head, she grabbed a small shopping basket and got to work. She roamed down the baking aisle first and idly checked out the chocolates and other add-ons before going to get the puff pastries in the frozen aisle. She also remembered that there were some leftover spices and flour from the last time she visited, so after getting the rest, she only needed some apples and she'll be set.

"Apples, apples," she chanted, swinging her basket around as she walked over to the fruit produces. After mulling over which brand to get, she settled with Fuji apples and counted the items in her basket to make sure she got everything. Nodding to herself with satisfaction, she hummed and headed back up the supermarket.

Above her head, there was a banner advertising some newly released maiubo flavors.

"'Buy a box of teriyaki burger or yakitori flavored maiubo and get a small noraemon figurine for free'?" Tomoko read with a tilt of her head. A spark flashed in her salmon orbs at the sight of the cute figurine, and she laughed to herself. "I should get a box... Midorima-kun did say that a noraemon figurine was my lucky item after all~!"

With that in mind, she skipped over to the snack aisle happily.

"Noraemon, noraemon, norae—uhf!" she yelped when her body was suddenly sent flying to the ground. Blinking a few times, she rubbed her forehead and looked at what she had collided with.

Towering before her was a male over_ two meters_ tall. The collision had made the male turn halfway; he had two family sized bags of potato chips and an armful of other snacks. A sucker was sticking out from his mouth as well.

"Eh?" he mumbled, his body swayed a little as he turned completely and strands of purple hair flowed over his eyes as he looked down at her. "Did I cause you to fall? Sorry."

The stranger didn't sound particularly apologetic; if anything, he sounded bored, especially with those eyelids that looked permanently lowered like he was half-asleep. However, Tomoko wasn't all that bothered and jumped up with zeal; she attempted to measure the height between her and the tower.

"Woah! How tall are you?" _He may be taller than Otou-san from Shinkyo!_

"208 centimeters," he replied, then turning back to continue his task of picking out the variety of snacks. Tomoko watched him stare at each type of snack in complete concentration, but looked like he was having slight trouble choosing which ones he wanted.

She inched closer to him, following his gaze to a row of flavored maiubo sticks in neat boxes. "Maybe you should try the teriyaki burger or yakitori flavored ones. They're new!" she supplied besides him.

He looked down at her again, this time for an extended period of time. If he was thinking about something, Tomoko couldn't tell with that bored face of his. "New flavors? Okay," he finally said in a lighter tone, taking both of the boxes.

Tomoko looked slightly pained when she realized that those were the last _full_ boxes for the two promotion flavors... Seeing that it couldn't be helped, she shrugged and let it go. _Oh well..._

"Eh, it says here I get a free noraemon with a box of maiubo," he read off the side of the box, gaining Tomoko's attention once again. He pointed to the drawing of the blue mechanical cat on the box, "I don't want those things, so you can have them."

A hopeful look crossed Tomoko's features, "I can?"

He nodded slowly at her enthusiasm and a childish pout formed on his lips, "But I get all of the maiubo."

"Deal!" she grinned happily, taking his hand to head over to the register. He followed behind without complaint, quietly eating his sucker as they stood in line. She watched him with interest; he was extremely tall, perhaps _too_ tall for a high school student. However, he didn't have the kind of college student air around him.

Just then, the automatic doors of the supermarket opened and Ichirou walked in, his head turning from side to side before locking eyes with Tomoko. When he had saw the wallet laying carelessly on his apartment floor, his worry was quick to come back to him. Ichirou was quite sure that his little sister still had no idea that she had no money...

"Tomoko! Look what you forgot," he chided as he came up to her, waving the pink wallet in front of her face, "Really, what am I going to do with you?"

"Ehhh? I didn't even notice!" she admitted, sounding somewhat proud of herself. Ichirou rolled his eyes and looked up, suddenly aware of the giant standing behind his sister.

"Hey," he narrowed his eyes slightly as realization hit him. "You're that kid from Yosen High, aren't you? Murasakibara Atsushi?"

The purple haired giant blinked, his violet eyes portraying insipidness, "Yeah, that's me... Who are you?"

Ichirou felt his eyes tick irritably at the giant's casual response. As a university student living on his own in a separate city, he of course had to work at a part-time job to pay for some basic expenses like food and rent. He was an employee at a bistro that specialized in breakfast and had a dessert/bakery section included, and the purple headed giant was a frequent customer (mostly for the desserts) since the restaurant was so close to Yosen High.

But not only that, his friend who was on Akita University's basketball team introduced him to Murasakibara when the kid's basketball team came over to the university for a practice match. The point was that they've met more than enough times, and if Ichirou knew who he was, then the kid, being _four years his_ _junior_, had to at least have the decency and common respect to remember him as well!

"Oh wait, you're the guy who works at that dessert shop~" Murasakibara gave him a minuscule grin, "I forgot your name though because you're not important."

The look on Ichirou's face was almost horror-struck. "Why you—! It's Okuma Ichirou, you little shrimp!"

"...Shrimp? But I'm taller than you~"

"So? I'm your _senpai_, so that makes me bigger than you!"

Small giggles from Tomoko and other customers around them broke their mini argument, and Ichirou realized that they were making quite a scene in the supermarket. The cashier in the front coughed once to remind them that they were holding up the line.

While the caramel haired girl paid for her items, Ichirou continued to glare at Murasakibara and the tall male returned a childish glare back.

"I didn't know you were friends with him, Ichi-nii! Wow, he's taller than you and he's only in high school," Tomoko was grinning when he focused his attention back on her once she was done checking out.

"As if I'll be friends with some air-headed giant who's probably taller than the Tokyo Tower!" he huffed and started to usher his sister out. She opened her mouth to protest his haste, but he pushed her out of the supermarket. Ichirou then flicked the smaller girl on the head playfully, "You shouldn't talk to randoms, Tomoko. People here are strange."

Her hands immediately shot up to her forehead and she pursed her lips. "Well, you live here, so does that make you strange too?" she asked.

Ichirou feigned hurt and caused Tomoko to laugh at his antics. He grinned as well. Sure, he knew that he could be overprotective, and dare he say _illogical_ sometimes, but he's only looking out for his sister's best interest. He wasn't wrong about having weird people in Akita, anyway. Like when he met Murasakibara and his team that one time—it could count as the perfect example.

There was that guy who always spoke like some feudal lord, and that seemingly big tough guy who he saw burst into tears once or twice about some trivial stuff. Perhaps it was just the students at Yosen...

"Don't worry, I'll keep my cute imouto-chan away from the loonies," he said with confidence, patting Tomoko on the head in reassurance. She rolled her eyes playfully.

"Ah... My lucky item..."

Ichirou didn't know what she was talking about and demonstrated his confusion by blinking a few times. Before he could question her, distinctive crunching noises came up behind them and the older Okuma turned around and regretfully saw the same purple headed giant.

Murasakibara loomed over them with a yakitori flavored maiubo in his mouth. On one hand, he was carrying the big bag of snacks he bought, and on the other, it held the two tiny robot cats.

"You left before I could give you this," he said to Tomoko, placing the two figurines in the palm of the girl's hand. "I told you I don't want them."

Tomoko widened her glittering eyes, "Thank you so much... Mura-kun!" she smiled thankfully as she doted on the small figurines. "I can call you that, right?"

Murasakibara shrugged. "Sure~"

"Don't act so chummy with her!" Ichirou immediately butted in, trying to separate the distance between his precious sister and the imposing giant. He waved his hand in a swatting motion, trying to will Murasakibara away, but only got more annoyed when the teen merely stood and crunched on his third maiubo stick. _His nonstop crunching is like the buzzing of an annoying fly! _

"Hey Mura-kun, since you and Ichi-nii are friends, wanna come and have some apple pie with us?" Tomoko suddenly invited.

"W-What?! Tomoko, don't invite random guys home! He's not a friend!" Ichirou immediately interjected, however, it was too late. The purple haired giant seemed to be pretty keen on the mention of apple pie and readily agreed to accompany them back to the apartment.

"Oi! Don't follow us!"

Murasakibara bit down on his maiubo and pouted with that annoyingly disinterested look again. He pointed to Tomoko, "Eh? But Tomo-chin said I could."

"'Tomo-chin'? You're acting too familiar, buddy!" Ichirou yelled, now thoroughly annoyed. This came from the same guy who couldn't remember _his_ name... He was obviously only in it for the free food. No way was the giant coming into his apartment, not on his watch! "Tomoko—"

He paused, stopping at the look Tomoko was giving him. He wanted to flat out tell her that Murasakibara wasn't allowed to come, but her puppy-dog eyes had always been his weakness.

"Ichi-nii, he gave me these cute noraemon figurines..." she pleaded, raising said figurines up to his face for emphasis. "Don't you think that was nice?"

_Not at all,_ Ichirou thought.

"Yeah, I'm nice~" the purple haired male piped in agreement. He had opened a bag of chips this time.

_He's like a five-year-old!_

Ichirou sighed, clearly not convinced. But, with as persistent as Tomoko was, he knew she wouldn't let it go._ I'll just have to keep an eye on him for now,_ Ichirou thought, eyeing the interaction between the two. Murasakibara offered a single chip to Tomoko as a display of him being 'nice'...

"You can come," he finally said matter-of-factly. "But then you have to leave right after!"

Murasakibara nodded.

"That's great! Mura-kun, let's go!" Tomoko cheered, skipping up ahead happily. The tall male barely had to put effort in his strides as his legs were so long.

"Hm~ I'm hungry~"

"You'll definitely like my apple pie~" she told the chip-munching giant.

Ichirou quickly stalked behind them. The bystanders looked on with peculiar stares as they wondered why an angry looking college student was trailing behind an oddly-paired duo that were on the opposite ends of the height spectrum. Tomoko chattered along as Murasakibara merely continued to consume his chips with gusto.

"I have a feeling we'll become great friends, Mura-kun!" He heard Tomoko say and watched as Murasakibara ruffled Tomoko's hair, like a parent would to his child (although if he was to be honest, the giant was more like a child than anyone else here).

"You're so small I could just crush you..." Murasakibara comment. The giant stared down on the caramel haired girl. "But we can be friends."_ If you can make yummy sweets. _

Tomoko grinned happily and dangled the two noraemon figures between her fingers. One of the was molded holding a camera and the other one was holding a dorayaki, the blue machine cat's favorite snack. She handed the latter to Murasakibara, "Why don't you keep this one? We can have matching key chains!"

"Matching key chains?" he echoed with a mouthful of chips.

"Wait! You're exchanging _couple's_ gifts?!" Ichirou whined from behind, completely disapproving of what they were doing.

"It's only a friendship gift," Tomoko laughed. "Well, it really isn't much of a 'gift'... But what to you say, Mura-kun?"

The purple haired giant ignored the older Okuma's protests and stared at the tiny blue cat in Tomoko's hand before turning his attention back at her. He didn't really think much of her at first, and he never really cared if others liked him, but Tomoko was nice to him, offered him food, and even smelled like the sweet aroma of a bakery...

"Okay~" he said, allowing the girl to latch the figurine on his phone.

The charms on their phones thus became the evidence of a new friendship of two strangers. It started a beautiful bond between two Libras over a common passion: sweets. It—

—_was a trap!_ Ichirou watched in horror as he sunk deeper into his predicament. The younger Okuma was simply way too nice to strangers, and they don't hesitate to latch on to her kindness like a magnet. He's seen a scene like this far too many times before...

And he knows that Murasakibara Atsushi was going to require a _big_ effort to ward off in the future.

* * *

_..._

_From: Okuma Tomoko_

_To: Midorima Shintarou_

_Noraemon REALLY worked like a charm!_

_(17:00)_

_..._

* * *

_KnB parodies:_

\- noraemon (doraemon, popular cartoon figure)

\- maiubo (umaibo, Japanese corn snack)

**Woo! Didn't think Murasakibara was gonna show this chapter, huh?**

**Leave a review~**


	17. The Three Musketeers

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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"OKUMA-CHAAAAAN!"

The team, including Tomoko, whipped their heads around to the out-of-breath cat-like teen that called out for the manager. Class had just ended and the members of Seirin's basketball team were filing in one by one to get ready for the day's practice. Koganei was one of the last ones to show up, and he looked like he was extremely excited about something.

"What's wrong with you?!" Riko demanded at his outburst.

Koganei waved his arm around, revealing a magazine in his clutches. He ran up to the group, still panting, and shoved the magazine in his teammates' faces. "Look what I found in my sister's room!"

"Isn't it normal for your sister to have fashion magazines?" Hyuuga asked as the rest mirrored his confused expression; it was a fairly popular magazine after all.

Meanwhile, Tomoko peered over her taller seniors to take a look for herself. It indeed was like any other regular fashion magazine that comes out monthly... However, this company sounded familiar to her.

Riko rolled her eyes, thinking whether the small forward really waited all day to show them something as trivial as this. "Don't make something out of nothing, idiot!"

"No, not that!" Koganei protested, hastily flipping the pages until he reached a certain section. He held the page up next to Tomoko and pointed to the image, "I wanted to show you guys _this_! Tell me this isn't Okuma-chan!"

"Woah... No way!"

"That does look like Okuma-chan!"

On the page was a photo of Tomoko in a sleeveless navy button up, cut-off acid washed shorts, and a black belt with metal spikes. She was posing in a crouched position with one arm resting on top of a wooden bat and her eyes were focused right at the camera.

The team turned to their manager in wonder. "Okuma-chan, since when...?"

"Ah, I remember now!" Tomoko did a little motion with her hands in realization and grinned widely, "That was when Kise-kun asked me to model with him."

Kuroko, while impassive earlier, suddenly had a look of unease flash across his blue eyes. The thought of her spending an entire day with his blonde haired model had been prodding restlessly in the back of his head since that day, and now it was coming back.

"Model?! Kise?!" The others went on exclaiming, flipping through a few more pages and saw that the blonde model was indeed part of the fashion shots, along with two other male models and a black haired female model. Needless to say, the pretty female drew a lot of attention.

"Isn't that Yamanaka Saeko?"

"She's pretty popular... I think I saw her on a game show once!"

"Ehhh, she's super cute!"

"I think Okuma-chan looks really cute in these, t-too..." Furihata interrupted his friends as he complimented their cute manager with a deep blush. The others readily agreed. Although the caramel haired girl only had a small section, every shot looked like she was a natural model.

Tomoko grinned from ear to ear with the praises from her teammates. Even she didn't expect the photos to look this good!

"I had lots of fun doing it!" she laughed, cheeks rosy with mirth. "It actually took a few extra takes for me to look like an intimidating 'delinquent' in the photos; Rin-kun taught me how to look scary!"

The mention of a 'Rin-kun' had the team turn their attention to the model she was posing next to in the last few shots. He was a fierce-looking redhead, a bit like Kagami. Together, they looked the part of a delinquent couple.

"Okuma-chan might become famous after this," Fukuda commented. If people saw the magazine and recognized their manager's face, they'll surely be asking her for autographs. "You have potential to become a full-fledged model!"

"Heh heh, you think so?"

"Do you want to become a model, Okuma-san?" Kuroko asked quietly, his eyes conveying a hopeful aversion. _Did she enjoy modeling with Kise-kun that much? _

"If you become a model, that means you won't have time for us anymore!" Koganei whined with dramatic worry. Tomoko only laughed and shook her head.

"Nah, my time is dedicated to the Seirin basketball team," she winked, bounding over to the blue haired phantom's side and gave the team a thumbs' up. "After all, I promised Kuroko-kun that I'll help this team become number one!"

Riko whacked the cat-like teen on the head, "Of course Okuma-chan won't leave us... She's _our_ manager!"

The lines on Kuroko's forehead finally rested as Tomoko hugged him and passionately declare that she wasn't leaving him or the team. The rest laughed along at her silly antics.

"...What's happening?" Kagami walked in right at the moment, not knowing why everyone was so cheerful.

"It's Taiga-chan!" Tomoko announced excitedly.

Upon seeing the redhead, the team went up to him to ask about his absence, mentally letting out breaths of relief that the tall player was back. "Kagami! We were worried about you!"

"Kagami, you bastard..." Hyuuga's eyes were ticking behind his glasses, evidently still pissed about the redhead's blatant refusal to come to practice for two whole weeks. "You really had the balls to skip out on us, huh?"

"Sorry," Kagami immediately bowed in apology, startling the bespectacled captain and rendering him unable to continue his reprimand.

"I-If you're going to apologize, just come in the first place!" he barked in defeat.

Tomoko patted the bowing teen on the head with two hard slaps. "The important thing is he's back!" she grinned, earning a warning glare from said redhead and proceeding to ignore it in true Tomoko-fashion. He reached across to grab her, but she skipped away from his grasp and picked up Number 2 on the way.

"We're just welcoming you back, Taiga-chan~" she grinned and waved the little pup's paws in the air.

"Arf arf!"

Kagami looked like he was going to have a panic attack and scooted away from the girl. The familiar sight allowed the team to feel like everything was back to normal again. Maybe Kagami's presence will finally lift Kuroko out of his slump...

_It's good to have everyone back,_ Tomoko hugged Number 2 close and he licked her face.

"It looks like everyone's here." She immediately looked behind her; the voice belonged to no other than Kiyoshi Teppei. The well-anticipated male strolled in with a bright demeanor and his No. 7 basketball jersey.

"Hey ojou-chan, remember me?"

"Kiyoshi-san!" Tomoko grinned.

"Arf!"

"Oh, and this is the little Kuroko Tetsuya look-alike, Number 2!" he greeted and ruffled the husky pup's fur. Number 2 barked happily.

"Teppei?!" Hyuuga finally caught the presence of the second-year and exclaimed with surprise. "Why are you here?!"

Teppei waved good-naturedly at the captain, "Yo! Let's practice."

Despite having Hyuuga and Riko look a little perturbed at the second-year's arrival, the rest of the second-years all greeted him with casual friendliness. The first-years, excluding Kuroko and Tomoko, gave him curious looks. Kagami, being the only person left who was still unaware of the official ace, was beyond confused.

"Is he part of the team?" the redhead questioned Hyuuga. The captain drooped his head in defeat and nodded, and he wondered why the captain looked so begrudged at the notion.

"I've been in the hospital since last summer; because my surgery and rehab, I've been taking a break," Teppei introduced himself to the team formally. "Kiyoshi Teppei, 193 centimeters, 81 kilos. My position is center. Nice to meet you!"

"Teppei, you sure you're okay now?" Riko asked, looking up at the tall male with a small smile. Teppei nodded.

"Yeah! I'm completely healed. I may have forgotten some things, but I wasn't doing nothing or just playing around in the hospital. I got down some serious stuff."

Izuki stepped up, the fact having perked his interest. "Did you learn something?"

"Yeah..." Pride shone in the male's eyes, causing everyone to lean in slightly in anticipation. He grinned before the big reveal, "...Card games. The old man sharing my room taught me!"

"So?" Koganei questioned excitedly. There was a short period of silence that seemed to build up more suspense.

"It's fun."

"..."

The second-years visibly sagged with incredulity at the insignificance of the male's statement. "That_ is_ 'playing around', and it has nothing to do with basketball!"

"...Is this guy serious?" Kagami asked quietly as he took his stand next to Tomoko and Kuroko. The older male didn't seem exactly _normal _in any standard... But it wasn't like he hasn't meet his fair share of weird individuals.

Teppei turned his head toward the trio upon hearing the redhead's remark. He sported a good-natured smile and a concentrated look in his dark hazel eyes as he stared down the redhead. "I _am_ serious about doing this. You're Kagami-kun, right?" he asked. Kagami gave him a cautious nod.

"Since I'm officially back on the team, I want to play soon too. However, I don't think it will be fair for me to ask and play just because I'm an upperclassman..." Teppei trailed off, leading the redhead in on his next suggestion.

"Why don't we play some one-on-one for the starting position?"

.

_seventeen_

**the three musketeers**

.

The game was over quickly. Teppei held his own extremely well, but because of a year's absence from basketball, he couldn't possibly pressurize Kagami enough get past him and make the basket. When they switched positions, Teppei looked to have a clear block on Kagami too, but the redhead was faster and twisted around his form and made the dunk.

"What were you thinking, just challenging him like that?" Riko scolded the male once the winner was announced. Kagami left after that, having secured his spot on the first string.

Although Kagami had told Tomoko personally to not worry about him, the girl couldn't help but still be concerned about his actions. It seemed that the redhead had reverted back to his old ways in playing basketball. Seeing him like this was now foreign to Tomoko, and she knew it continued to affect Kuroko as well.

But she knew that for now, Kuroko and herself was going to have to hold on with a little faith for this 'light'. Turning her attention back to the defeated second-year, she couldn't help but wonder if Teppei had another motive for challenging Kagami...

"Ah, he's strong," Teppei smiled sheepishly.

"What do you think we're going to do without you?!" Riko slapped him on the head with a large paper fan. The second-year winced and rubbed his head at her violent objection.

"I can't help it... This is the best I can do for now."

Hyuuga scoffed, pointing to the defeated male's shoes before rolling his eyes in annoyance. "The best you can do? Look at your feet!" The rest of the team trailed their eyes down towards the floor along with Teppei. "Those are indoor shoes, you moron!"

There was a minute of exasperated silence for the second-years and incredulous bewilderment for the first-years as they stared at Seirin's official ace and basketball team founder. To think he was able to move swiftly even in those shoes... Saying he was completely out of the ordinary was really an _understatement._ Now they knew why the captain described Teppei as 'weird', and why he was so reluctant to talk about him.

"You lost on purpose, didn't you?" Hyuuga revealed with a sigh, having known Teppei long enough to know that he was probably playing at something.

Teppei blinked at his shoes some more before surprised realization took over. "Oh, crap!"

"It wasn't on purpose?!"

But then again, Hyuuga should have also known him long enough to realize that Teppei pulled shit like this all the time. As the upperclassmen argued, Tomoko looked at Kuroko, who looked back at her with his brilliant blue eyes. She had a happy, lopsided smile on her lips.

_Things are going to become more interesting now. _

* * *

After a few days of practice, Riko announced that the team was going to have three consecutive practice games with other schools. Most wondered why she was setting up these games right before summer vacation, but didn't think to object when she gave them her chilling smile.

They knew after that that their summer training camp was going to be in the pits of hell, literally. So they were trying their hardest now to perhaps lessen the torture the coach was going to put the through in the coming weeks.

...However, it was hard to prove that when all of the second-years were sitting on the bench, watching only the first years play on their practice match with Tokushin High.

"Coach, what are you thinking?" Izuki finally asked.

"He insisted on watching the first-years play," Riko motioned at the male sitting next to her, which happened to be Teppei. Hyuuga turned towards the Seirin center as well.

"What are you trying to get at this time?" _If you're trying to get at anything at all,_ he thought. Teppei was too unpredictable.

"I know what Kiyoshi is thinking!" Koganei rubbed the bottom of his chin in a pensive manner. His teammates toned in with interest. "We're probably going to lose this game, aren't we? Since recently, Kagami's been playing selfishly. They can't win that way. That's why you're making them lose on purpose so he can realize he can't win on his own, right?"

The cat-like teen finished and looked at Teppei, crossing his arms with confidence in his speculation.

"I see," Teppei said, showing his amazement at Koganei's suggestion. "That's amazing, Koga..."

"H-Huh?!" the teen was confused whether Teppei seriously didn't have something like that in mind. He thought he was voicing the center's plan!

_I knew it..._ Hyuuga thought with the roll of his eyes.

"Well, I'm not saying you're wrong... But do you think Kagami's so stupid he wouldn't notice if we didn't tell him?" Teppei asked the small forward, revealing what he really thought about the situation. "He's not feeling uncertain or worried to me. If there's anyone I want to notice something, it's _him_."

"Kuroko-kun?"

The second-years saw Tomoko come up to their bench with a thoughtful look on her face. She had just come back from filling a few water bottles and had heard their conversation.

"That's right," Teppei smiled. He then pointed at one of the bottles, "Ah, I could use one of those."

Riko immediately pulled on his ear, "Don't even think about it. These are for the first-years."

"But don't I have a bottle too?" he rubbed his ear.

"Yeah, but you're not even playing today! Why you need water?"

"From all the explaining I did, of course."

Tomoko giggled as the coach looked at Teppei with a hopeless sigh. She took a seat on the bench and pulled out a large container of freshly sliced fruits sprinkled with a little bit of sugar. "I brought this for the team, so you're all welcomed to eat some!"

Teppei gratefully took it and the others also grabbed a few pieces. "It's a wonderful thing that you're on the team, Okuma-chan," he said.

The rest nodded wholeheartedly.

* * *

Aomine walked into a random store with a lazy yawn. He had just woken up from his third nap today, and so far he had successfully avoided Momoi's annoying requests for him to come to practice.

His team had won the championship league in the Tokyo region and there was no point in practicing. Not that there was ever a point in practicing for him, anyway. He'll just sleep his way through the days until he meets the rest of his former Teiko teammates.

It was sort of exciting for him to think about that. He'll be able to use everything he's got without needing to hold back.

But until that point, he was going to continue disregarding everything. Looking around, Aomine realized that he had entered a bookstore. He didn't care much for books, of course, with the exception of his gravure magazines. Since he was here, he might as well buy a new copy of Horikita Mai-chan's newest monthly addition.

He made a beeline towards the magazine section of the bookstore; there were a few people standing around looking at other magazines. Because of the nature of his magazine, which was a personal photo album of an idol, there is always a plastic wrap protecting it. Without actually making a purchase, one will never be able to see the glorious content inside.

It wasn't like he ever regretted using his allowance to buy Mai-chan's magazines, though. Like Midorima's obsession with lucky items and Murasakibara's affinity for snacks, he was a religious viewer of his favorite idol. Skimping past other nameless magazines, he finally stopped once the gravure model's voluptuous bust in a frilly red bikini came into view.

Aomine picked up the glossy paper material with great care and rejoiced. He dug into his pocket to make sure he had enough money before setting out to check out the magazine so it can be unbounded from the pesky plastic wrap. As he walked down the aisle, passing some girl with a fashion magazine, something caught his eye and he did a double take. The unsuspecting school girl was so startled by his expression she didn't look twice before running away. Aomine picked up the abandoned magazine and saw what peaked his interest with wide eyes.

_Okuma Tomoko?! _

There was no doubt, the girl posing on the page was indeed Seirin's basketball team manager. He had no idea she modeled... Was she really a model?

He quickly set the magazine down, eyes still blinking with shock. But it was like his hand moved on its own accord, and it reached out to grab it again.

_Damn._

Aomine couldn't explain it; maybe it was because Tomoko looked hot in those photos or something, but he ended up walking out of the store with two magazines tucked safely under his arm.

* * *

After narrowly winning the practice match against Tokushin High, and later on that night, Riko and Teppei dined at Maji Burger to talk about the events that has happened in the past week.

"Really, what are you planning?" Riko questioned after sipping her soda. "Challenging Kagami, making only the first-years play... You can't just play it off like you don't know anything."

Teppei pouted and leaned back on his chair. "Why do you guys keep saying such mean things about me? I only challenged Kagami to see how our abilities compared, seriously."

"Then what about today's game?" she asked. The look on Teppei's face changed into a knowing simper.

"Ah, I guess I did have something in mind for that."

"And what's that?"

"I want Kuroko-kun to know the current limits of his basketball."

* * *

Back at the gymnasium, Hyuuga was shooting hoops by himself.

_Since I didn't play today, all this extra energy is stored up in me,_ he moved his shoulders around, cracking a few bones, _I guess I'll practice twice as much shooting today. Yosh, _Hyuuga crouched and got ready to shoot.

"Excuse me..."

"YAAAAAH!"

He jolted upon glancing to his side and the ball shot out of his hands when he saw Kuroko standing silently next him. He didn't even feel the boy come in and the gym doors were closed!

"What the—don't scare me like that, Kuroko!"

"I'm sorry," Kuroko replied. The Seirin captain noticed the visibly troubled look on his face and grew worried.

"Never mind that. What's up?"

"...I'm at my limit."

Hyuuga stared at him. "Ha?"

"Going forward, I will do nothing but hold Seirin back," Kuroko explained to the confused captain. He lowered his head, "So, please make Kiyoshi-senpai one of our starters."

Hyuuga could hear the reluctance in the phantom's voice. From Kuroko's stand point, he could somewhat understand how he was feeling and why he requested to be pulled out of the team. But he also thought it was especially stupid and unfair for the phantom to do so.

"You don't come to talk to me often, but when you do..." Hyuuga reached across and slapped Kuroko upside the head to wake him up. "Don't you dare get ahead of yourself!" he shouted, taking Kuroko by surprise.

"Replace you as a starter? Have you ever thought about the guys on the bench? It's not your place to say that so casually! I'm the one who'll say that!"

"But..."

Hyuuga stood in an akimbo stance and looked at Kuroko with finality. "I told you, no." With a soft sigh, he continued, "When the team first formed, Kiyoshi played a heavy-handed center. He was taller than the rest of us, but more so, he was the only one who could do it. Kiyoshi was actually best at point guard, but he thought it was best for the team to play center. However, he also felt limited by playing a position that wasn't meant for him."

Kuroko stared at the bespectacled male as he told Teppei's story. He had no idea the formerly-hospitalized second-year had felt that way before. "What happened?"

"One day, Koga suggested what we all thought was far-fetched and nearly impossible," Hyuuga let out a small chuckle as the memory of that day came back to him. "He asked why couldn't Teppei just play both. We all knew the answer was because the positions are too different, with the center fighting right under the hoop and point guard leading farthest from the basket, but Koga didn't think about that. It really was because of his comment about Teppei being the 'leader under the hoop' that got Teppei to utilize his strength as a point guard while in the position as a center."

Looking back at the silent blue haired teen, Hyuuga pushed up his glasses and frowned. "I know you and Kiyoshi are different, but is that really all you can do?" he asked, earning a soft mumble from Kuroko. "Well, I can't force you to do anything, but if you really don't think you can do it, at least tell Kagami. He believed in you."

Kuroko looked shocked as the captain turned his back to him, preparing to continue is practice.

"He was all like _'Kuroko's always saved me until now, and there's no way he's stopping. So I need to make myself stronger, even if a little, and put some distance between us for now' _or something like that," he looked at the basket in his line of aim. "Just how awkward is he?"

_Very,_ Kuroko thought. Kagami honestly could have just told him instead of making him feel like he was being abandoned by—he stopped pensively.

He now realized that Kagami _did_ tell him, in a way.

"...Excuse me. Thank you," he bowed before dashing out of the gym. Hyuuga looked back at him.

"Oh... You don't need anything else?"

"Yes."

Watching the phantom run out of sight before turning around, he made an attempt to shoot again as he was finally able to shrug away the worry he had for the two first-years.

_No more headaches,_ he thought and scored the basket. Reaching over to pick up another ball from the wire basket but finding one being handed to him, he absentmindedly took it before jolting again.

"YAAAAAH!" His hand grabbed at his pounding chest at the realization that it was Tomoko besides him. "What's with you and Kuroko just sneaking up on me today?!"

Her eyes immediately widened at the mention of her blue haired friend. "Kuroko-kun was here?"

"Yeah, like a minute ago," Hyuuga grunted, still recovering from the scare. "Did you need me for something?

"Nope, you just helped me. Thanks captain!" she called and ran out of the gym as well, this time presumably going the opposite way she came from and to the way Kuroko left. Hyuuga blinked a few times at the empty doorway.

"Maybe I should just go home today..."

* * *

"You want him to abandon his style...?" the coach asked, a bit muddled by her friend's suggestion. It was true that Kuroko seemed to be dragged down by his unique way of playing right now, but to get him to abandon the skill he's been using since middle school was a bit extreme. "It's the style Kuroko-kun honed through trial and error, though."

"In a positive way, his skill is a support for the team. Depending on the other four, he can be strong or weak. But in a negative way, he relies on others. That's exactly why he needs to abandon it and create a new style of basketball for himself without losing the direction..." Teppei trailed off. His attention shifted to the other side of the window he and Riko was sitting at. "Ah, no. He should be fine now."

Riko followed his gaze outside and saw Kuroko running down the direction she knew had an outdoor basketball court. She can only guess that the phantom went to find Kagami.

She smiled, but not before seeing Tomoko run past their window a few moments after Kuroko. She rested her cheek on her palm, "Friendship is such a beautiful thing." Her companion across the table nodded.

"I get the feeling they're a bit like the Three Musketeers, somewhat."

"Hm," Riko hummed with a small smile, "then wouldn't you be the guy who befriends them in the stories? What's his name?"

Teppei looked back outside the window where Kuroko and Tomoko passed by minutes ago, a serene expression spreading across his face. "Beats me."

* * *

When Tomoko arrived at the park where Kagami was training by himself, she could see her blue haired friend not far in front of her, panting like she was as he tried to call for Kagami's attention.

"Kagami-kun!"

"Kuroko..." Kagami had a look of surprise as he turned to see Kuroko hunched over on the court. The dim streetlights illuminated the little sweat-beads on his face; he had obviously ran all the way here... "Wait, Okuma, you're here too?!" he questioned when he noticed the caramel haired girl just a few feet behind the boy, panting as well.

Tomoko gave her friends a weak wave as the attention shifted to her. "D-Don't mind me, I was just following Kuroko-kun."

"That's not normal!" the redhead shouted in alarm. "Why are you guys even here?"

"I want to talk to you, Kagami-kun," Kuroko answered.

"And I thought I'd be Kuroko-kun's backup," Tomoko added with a thumbs up.

Kagami stared at the two long and hard before sighing in defeat. "Alright then. What do you want to talk about?"

"Um... Sorry... The truth is, I haven't gotten all my thoughts together yet," Kuroko replied truthfully. He knew he had to get this thing off of his chest, otherwise the weight would only continue to bring him and the team down. He just hasn't figured out how to tell the redhead since it was so sudden. "Please give me a second to think."

"Oi!"

"Let's play a game while we wait!" Tomoko suggested, pointing to the basketball under Kagami's arm.

"Are you sure you know how to play, brat?" he rolled his eyes at her as he lifted the ball just out of her reach. He then threw it towards Kuroko, who caught it with a start. "Two-on-one? You can think while we play."

"Do you want me to be on your team, Taiga-chan? I'll help you!" Tomoko bounded over to the redhead but was immediately pushed back towards the shadow. "Hey!"

"I know what you're thinking," Kagami accused with a pointed glare, "you're gonna try to give the ball to Kuroko, aren't you? You're staying on the other side!"

"Taiga-chan's a meanie," she pouted, though making no comment to refute his accusation.

The trio played around the dim court for a bit, with the redhead mostly trying to avoid a few of Tomoko's foul-worthy moves and easily running past Kuroko. At some point, Tomoko actually got the ball with the shadow's softer passes and made an attempt to shoot. The ball clanked on the backboard and landed back into Kagami's awaiting hands; he turned it around and made another point.

"That's my 14th point," he grinned at his two opponents.

"Um, please go easier on us," Kuroko panted, "I can't think like this."

"I _am_ going easy. You two are just weak," Kagami raised his eyebrows. Upon seeing two pairs of pleading eyes, he let out a small laugh. He turned to address the defeated blue haired boy, "It was like this the first time we played, too. When I later found out what you could really do, I was blown away. But, I've been wondering for a while now... Why did you choose me?"

_"I am a shadow. I will be the shadow to your light and make you the best player in Japan."_

Kuroko blinked at the brought-up memory. "I'm sorry. I must apologize to you and Okuma-san for my lie," he said slowly. "In middle school, I received a uniform as the team's sixth man."

Both Kagami and Tomoko looked at the sullen boy with question; they knew that much about his origin already. He was the Generation of Miracles' trump card, after all.

"However, I wasn't quite the trump card you guys thought I was. My former teammates may have believed in me, but they did not trust me," Kuroko revealed. "No, I think it's more accurate to say they stopped being able to trust me. When I was a first-year, I was an unremarkable player... I joined the bench as the sixth man in my second year, and it was then I had believed they trusted me. But as their talents began to blossom, like Aomine-kun, they lost their faith in me. They placed all of their trust solely on themselves..."

"On themselves...?" Tomoko cocked her head to the side with furrowed brows. Kagami was silent as he listened patiently.

"Yes. If we were one point behind with a few seconds left, they would not pass. They had to do it themselves," sapphire eyes bore into the taller redhead's fiery ones with guilt. "After I ran into Okuma-san that first day of school, it gave me courage to do something about the pain of losing my place in the eyes of my former teammates. The truth is that it didn't have to be you, Kagami-kun. I simply wanted to use your passion to force them to recognize my style of basketball..." he finished and looked down, unable to meet Kagami's or Tomoko's eyes.

He wondered, what was going to happen now that the truth was out? Would he be viewed as a user? Someone untrustworthy?

"I was wondering what you might say... And I had a feeling it would be this," Kagami sighed and looked up to the sky. When Kuroko opened his mouth to question his statement, Kagami's fiery eyes locked with his, "I've always felt it. I'm just like them, aren't I? You chose to work with me because my style was like the Generation of Miracles. Everyone plays for their own reasons; I'm no diff—"

"No," Kuroko immediately retorted, "Kagami-kun, you are different."

The redhead raised his brows. He didn't really see how—Clearly, the boy had admitted to choosing him because of his strength and will. Next to him, Tomoko touched his shoulder in reassurance and was nodding in agreement with the shadow.

"He's right; you really are different... I've said it before in the beginning!" she smiled. "I can see it clearly in the games. You've given Kuroko-kun the one thing he couldn't get from the others in Teiko. You _trusted_ him."

"It's true, Kagami-kun," Kuroko said. In his mind, the words that his partner said him after the championship league didn't sound like rejection anymore. He knew now that it was meant for them to both grow on and learn from. "Those words you said to me... You wanted us to stop relying on each other and become even stronger so we could combine a greater strength to win."

"...So, please allow me to correct myself," he continued determinedly. "I am glad I go to Seirin. Our seniors and classmates are wonderful people. Okuma-san, you became my inspiration, and you, Kagami-kun, you trusted _me, _not as Teiko's sixth man, but as Kuroko Tetsuya of Seirin High. I don't want to make someone else the best player in Japan... With you, Okuma-san, and everyone else, I want to become the best in Japan! I want to become stronger and defeat the Generation of Miracles!"

"Geez, that's what I've been trying to do in from the beginning... And you got it wrong again!" Kagami grunted. There was a lighthearted smirk on his face. He passed the basketball and the shadow threw it up in the air, towards the net. Kagami then jumped and dunked it.

"You don't _want_ to be the best. We're _going_ to be the best!"

"Kuroko-kun... Taiga-chan..." Tomoko sniffed happily; her salmon eyes were shining with warmth and hope at their declarations. "I..."

"O-Oi, are you going to start crying?" Kagami regarded her watery eyes with weary. He never knew what to do when someone was crying.

"Okuma-san, please don't cry..." Kuroko consoled gently.

_Damn you Kuroko, always have to be better at dealing with females..._

Tomoko shook her head and flashed him and Kuroko a dazzling smile that made both males feel their heart drum faster. She took their hands and piled them on top of one another.

"I-I'm not crying! I was just thinking... We didn't come this far to _only_ come this far... Seirin will go to the top, and I'm just happy to be part of something so wonderful with you guys," she said sincerely before setting her small, warm hand on top of theirs.

Kagami and Kuroko looked at the girl in front of them. She was so cute, so pure, and always so kindhearted. If they were the light and shadow, she was the person fueling the light and bringing attention to the magnificent shadow that would otherwise be ignored.

Deep inside, both boys knew Tomoko was someone they regarded as a precious friend... And maybe something more.

"Let's promise that no matter what, we'll do our best to become stronger and stay together as a team. Okay?"

The partners nodded without a moment's hesitation, "We promise."

Her signature lopsided grin flashed across her beautiful face as their hands pushed down together before it was released. Tomoko made a happy blasting noise as she wiggled her fingers animatedly. Her melodious giggles filled the Tokyo night air loud and clear.

"Forever and always!"

* * *

_"D'Artagnan!"_

_Teppei nearly spat out his drink at Riko's sudden outburst. "Wh—what's wrong?!"_

_"That's the guy's name. I just remembered."_

_"A-Ah..."_

* * *

**Review?**


	18. There Are No 'Tears' in Terror

I was reading _Hearts_ and its sequel _Heartbeat_ by **Puripuriko** on wattpad recently, and that story got me in my chest to the point that I was crying endlessly over each camaraderie and/or heartbreaking scene (they come as a pair at times and it's so bittersweet). _Hearts_ and _Heartbeat_ is set in a fantasy AU featuring an OC and Kaijo &amp; GOM. If any of you like action/romance/angst, I highly recommend them! If you read this story, tell me if you cried with happiness/sadness at the endings (or middle - or any point tbh)! I'll love to talk about it and dump my feelings onto you guys LOL. Some parts may seem like the inevitable end (and you just want to die in a hole alone with your tears), but trust me, you'll love the ending (: Side note: Puripuriko said _Hearts_ and its sequel were inspired by _Guilty Crown_, so if you like that... *smirks*

Anyway, the main reason I'm telling you guys this is because reading them made me so happily emotional that chapter 18 of _Spark_ was immediately created in an attempt to lighten my life up with a little humor. I'm lame, I know... But enjoy this anyway!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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The days leading up to summer break passed by quickly; today was the last day before the students will be released from school. During break time between the periods, Koganei, Mitobe, Izuki, and Tsuchida were idly hanging around the second-year halls when they heard their coach and captain walk past from a different hallway.

Koganei and the others stuck their heads around the corner to tone in on their conversation.

"What do you think? Should we go to the beach during summer vacation?"

"Yeah, the beach is nice."

"How about the mountains?"

"Yeah, that sounds good too."

The boys could hear Riko protest Hyuuga's disinterest with puffed up cheeks as they continued their way down the empty hallway. _They must be planning our summer camp... But..._

"Are you even listening, Hyuuga-kun?"

"Hm? I don't really care where we go as long as we can practice hard," was the captain reply as the two walked out of sight.

_Don't just casually decide on the hell we're going to like an old couple!_ The four turned significantly paler as chills ran down their spines. Sometimes, they wondered if their captain and coach were a match made in hell...

* * *

A whistle blew and signaled for the team to gather around the brunette coach after their practice. This was the last one before summer camp begins, and Riko had an important announcement to make.

"This year, at the beginning and end of summer vacation, we'll be taking _two_ trips. One to the beach and one to the mountains!"

The four who had eavesdropped in her conversation earlier blanched incredulously in sync. _They chose both!?_

"The qualifiers for the Winter Cup starts right after summer vacation ends!" Hyuuga explained with authority, "So, it's important we use this vacation as effectively as possible. Let's give it everything we have, got it?"

"Yes!" the team chorused with a new, determined fire.

"Alright, dismissed!"

As the team started to clean up the equipment, Tomoko ran up to Riko before the older girl set off to talk to their activities coordinators about the training camps.

"Riko-san, can I talk to you for a second?" Tomoko called from behind. They were a little away from the gymnasium. The coach turned around and smiled encouragingly at the girl who was rubbing her head sheepishly.

"Sure! What about?"

"It's regarding the training camps, actually..."

Back inside the gym, Hyuuga saw that it was his one chance to warn the team about a very important detail about their stay at camp.

"Everyone! Gather 'round one more time!" he shouted, pausing the argument that was transpiring between Kuroko and Kagami, and the rest complied and surrounded the captain with confusion. Even Number 2 sat by his foot and wagged his tail quietly.

"We're currently facing grave danger," he revealed. This alarmed the team and the first years especially looked at each other wearily. "In order to make two trips this year, we had to choose cheap lodgings. This means that we'll have to make our own food... Which brings us to our crisis. Our coach will be cooking for us!"

The second-years stood silently as the information sunk in. Only they understood why Hyuuga was regarding it as a crisis... And right he was. Seeing the suspenseful silence between his seniors, Furihata finally spoke up.

"Um... Is that bad?" he asked unknowingly.

"Of course! It's _horrific_!" Hyuuga pointed a dramatic finger at the startled first-year, "Do you remember the honey-soaked lemons at the Touou game?!"

"In other words, her cooking is barely above edible..." Teppei rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Inside, he was incredibly nervous for this trip.

"So it's inedible?!" the rest panicked, finally catching on to their senior's horror. "I think we should just cook for ourselves..."

Hyuuga sighed, feeling great sympathy for the terror he's put upon his fellow teammates... But they had to know. Mitobe alone looked like he was about to contract a sudden heart attack from the mention of Riko's food. "If only it were that easy... But..."

"...Practice is so brutal that no one can move at night," Izuki finished the captain's sentence. Koganei dry heaved and covered his mouth.

"Just thinking about it makes me—eck!"

"Koga!" Tsuchida cried.

That display was enough to send even Kagami in a panic frenzy. He honestly didn't think the coach's cooking could be bad to the point that the seniors are becoming lifeless at the thought of eating her food again! And he was surprised that Kuroko could still look normal after the terrifying news...

"Um, Okuma-san is coming with us to camp, isn't she?" Kuroko asked, and immediately color came back to everyone's faces with realization.

"T-That's right!" Kawahara exclaimed, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "Okuma-chan will save our stomachs!"

"She's good at baking, so she must be good at cooking too!" Fukuda added optimistically.

Izuki and the second-years also calmed down a little, but he was still uneasy. "That may be so... But I have a feeling Coach would insist on adding her own touch to the food..."

_So no matter what... We're doomed... _was the thought that ran through everyone's heads.

* * *

...

From: Aida Riko

To: Hyuuga Junpei, Kiyoshi Teppei, Mitobe Rinnosuke, ... _(expand for more)_

_Everyone meet at the sports field at 6 o'clock SHARP. Don't be late!_

(17:29)

...

The entire team had received the group message from their coach, and by the looks of the urgent text, they didn't want to find out what would happen if they were late. It was close to six now, the time Riko had set for them to meet at the field.

The field was near a large neighborhood, and as everyone showed at the spot, they could only stare at each other and wonder why they were summoned a day before their first training camp was supposed to start.

"Do you know why we're here, Captain?" Furihata asked, scratching his head. He was at a park near his house where he was playing with a younger visiting cousin when he got the message.

"No," Hyuuga shook his head. Riko hadn't said anything to him, so he was as lost as the rest.

Kagami grunted, having arrived with Kuroko by his side after bumping into the boy on his way here. "I was about to start dinner..."

"At five?" Koganei blinked. "Wait, what do you mean by you're _starting_ dinner?"

"Hm? Oh, I live by myself," the redhead said offhandedly, "and I was playing basketball all afternoon so I got hungry."

"Woah..." the rest chorused with amazement.

"Guys, where is Riko? It's nearly six and she's the only who hasn't showed," Teppei brought the attention back to the situation at hand. Looking around, they didn't see the coach anywhere. Their manager seemed to be missing as well. "Okuma-chan is not here either..."

Checking the time, it was 5:59 p.m.

"This better not be a prank..." Hyuuga grumbled to himself and propped up his glasses. Then, he sees someone coming over from across the street. Further inspection confirmed that it was the coach. But, something was different about her.

_Why is she dressed up?!_

"Hey guys~!" Riko waved at the group of boys as she made her way over. Everyone looked at the happy coach with surprise and wonder.

She was up to something, no doubt.

Teppei was the first to speak up, since he was the closest distance to the coach. He nodded at her attire, "That's a nice dress you have on, Riko."

"Thanks!" she smiled, ruffling her yellow summer dress. She then looked at the rest of the males and scrunched her nose with disapproval. "Why are you guys in athletic shorts and dirty t-shirts?! You're going to leave a negative impression of the basketball team on Okuma-chan's parents!"

"You didn't tell us to dress up!" Hyuuga complained before realizing the last thing she said. "Wait, we're going to meet Okuma's parents?!"

Riko wasn't listening, however, as she dug into her bag to find her phone. She was trying to find the message she sent to the boys. "I was sure I included that in the text..." she mumbled. When she didn't find evidence of it, she shrugged without much care. "Oh well~"

"_Riko_!"

"What?" she blinked, staring back at her was eleven pairs of questioning eyes. "Oh, yeah. Okuma-chan said the only way her parents was going to let her come with us to the training camps was if she brings the basketball team over for dinner... So behave!"

The team's jaws almost simultaneously dropped to the ground. "We can't go dressed like this!" they shouted.

"Too late," Riko waved her hand dismissively. "You guys just have to stop dressing like slobs all the time."

"It's summer vacation!"

"Mah, whatever. We have to get moving, Okuma-chan is expecting us!"

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_eighteen_

**there are no 'tears' in terror**

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"I wonder what Okuma-chan's parents are like?" Kawahara asked while the team traveled through the large neighborhood. Turns out Tomoko lived right inside the neighborhood that was across from the sports field.

"We know her mom's nice!" Koganei said with a grin, remembering when the woman came to encourage the team during the Shutoku game.

The team then grew quiet as their minds shifted to the Okuma head and what he would be like. Was he stern? Stoic? _Scary_? Their fun-loving manager may be sociable and nice, but they knew to never judge a book by its cover. They can't just assume that her dad won't dismember them with one wrong word or move.

A chill went through every single one of the players' bodies at the thought of that.

They realized they might die even before training camp begins.

"We're here!" Riko's cheerful voice broke the guys out of their fearful thoughts. In front of them was an average-sized home settled in the heart of the neighborhood. It had a mix of a traditional and modern design, much like the houses down the street with slight variations. The Okuma residence had a fence that was stone on the bottom and shrubberies growing on the top going around one half the of the house. There was also a bed of flowers by the front porch. All in all, the place looked inviting.

"Remember to be a gentleman!"

"Yes coach!"

The team slowly lined up behind Riko as she rang the little white doorbell on the side of the wooden door. As the seconds passed by, they each formulated what they would say to the Okumas to leave a good impression.

When the door opened, a friendly looking man greeted them. "You guys must be the Seirin Basketball team," he laughed when he saw the nervous faces on the group of males behind the sole female. "Come on in! Tomo is helping her mom with dinner, so make yourselves at home."

"Sorry for intruding," they all bowed and took their shoes off by the door.

"Hey guys!"

They heard the familiar voice of the caramel haired manager call out, and they turned their attention towards the direction which they assumed was the kitchen. Tomoko was wearing a cute apron with cat ears attached over her sleeveless graphic tee and baby pink shorts. Her hair was in a messy bun, and it looked like she had been cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

"S-So cute..." Riko eyed the apron with stars in her eyes. When Hyuuga nudged her side, she quickly composed herself and put on a serious face. "Thanks for inviting us over. We will be on our best behavior!"

Tomoko giggled, "It'll be fine! My dad really just wants to get to know you guys!"

"Arf arf!"

"Excuse me, I hope you won't mind that Number 2 came along..." Kuroko said from the back, just now revealing himself. Okuma Yuuma blinked in surprise at the presence of the boy. He didn't think he saw him earlier.

"That's fine, as long as this little guy doesn't pee on the floor," Yuuma nodded with a smile.

"Thank you."

"I have to go back and help my mom prepare the plates, so just talk to my dad for the time being, okay?" Tomoko said apologetically, and faster than the guys could blink, she bounced back into the kitchen.

They were now alone with the Okuma head again.

Teppei, being a leader, took the initiative to introduce himself. "Hello, Okuma-san. I am Kiyoshi Teppei, a second-year."

"And founder of the basketball team, am I right?" Yuuma smiled.

"That would be correct!" Teppei sounded excited that the older man knew of him.

"I've heard a lot things about you guys from my daughter," Yuuma said, his expression giving no indication whether it was a good thing or bad. His sharp eyes scanned the group of boys and from memory, named the rest as he remembered. When he stopped at Kagami and Kuroko, he fell silent for a second.

Kagami gulped nervously while Kuroko just stared back with his even expression.

"Kagami Taiga and... Kuroko Tetsuya, right?"

The two nodded.

The rest of the team looked on with puzzlement as the older man assessed their star players. They were nervous _for_ the two.

Yuuma continued to stay quiet for a few moments before he finally addressed the entire team, his words shocking even the stoic Kuroko.

"So which one of you is courting my daughter?" he asked.

_C-Courting?!_

* * *

When dinner was ready, Tomoko sat between Riko and Mitobe around her round living room table. It was a lot bigger and the room had a lot more space to fit the entire basketball team plus the Okuma family than the dining room could offer.

For the team's arrival, Okuma Chiharu and her daughter had worked all afternoon to prepare a big enough menu to feed over ten people. There was tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet), karaage (deep-fried chicken), tako sunomono (octopus salad), stir-fry vegetables, a large steaming pot of vegetable soup, and enough rice to feed an entire army. It was more like a feast!

"Thank you for the food!" the team of drooling basketball players said their thanks at the same time, their voice chorusing throughout the living room.

"Go ahead, dig in," Chiharu said. She smiled as she watched the group start howling down the food with happy expressions on their faces.

"So what were you guys talking about when I was gone?" Tomoko asked casually.

The boys froze and looked at each other while some choked on their food at the sudden question.

"Woah, slow down!" she laughed, thinking it was because they were wolfing down the food too fast.

She didn't know that they had spent the earlier half of their visit being what they felt was interrogated by Okuma Yuuma. Of course the man was kind about it and showed no signs that he was angry or even threatening towards them, but what were a group of teenage boys supposed to say when the father of their cute manager asked if they were trying to get with her?

Good thing Riko and Teppei were there to assure the man that his daughter was safe with the team as they considered her as a precious little sister—well, at least _most_ of them did.

Yuuma's response was mind-boggling, however.

_"That's too bad. My little kuma is a fine young woman, wouldn't you all agree?"_

_The team stood frozen. Was he trying to trick them into saying something wrong? They prayed to every deity up above for a chance to see another day..._

_"What about this group of basketball prodigies I'm always hearing about? Are they interested in my daughter?" Yuuma wondered, seemingly unaffected by the team's horrific stares. _

_"T-The Generation of M-Miracles?"_

_"Ah, that's the name! How are they?"_

_"W-We don't know, sir..."_

_They could only look at the phantom sixth man for support as their minds swirled with confusion. Riko was grinning from ear to ear while Teppei looked deep in thought, as if he was actually trying to ponder over the possibilities with interest. __Seeing this, Okuma Yuuma gave them all a knowing smile before switching the topic to save most of them from their anxiety._

"We just talked about normal stuff, y'know," Riko grinned.

"Yes," Kuroko quickly chipped in. He raised the kaarage between his chopsticks and changed the topic, "This is really good."

Tomoko also grabbed a crispy karaage and dipped it in its special sauce before chomping down, savoring her mom's cooking. Though baking was her specialty, her ability to cook meals was average, nothing compared to the Okuma woman. "It's all mom's work~!"

"Just wait until dessert," Chiharu winked, "Tomo's got something up her sleeve that'll make you guys forget all about the food you're eating now."

Overwhelmed with the mention of more delicious food (and having the awkward question avoided), the team could almost burst into tears as they continued to stuff their mouths with savory goodness. They knew that tonight may be the last night they'd be able to enjoy something so good as long as Riko was in the kitchen...

* * *

"I totally thought you'd go straight for the dessert instead of helping me wash dishes," Tomoko nudged Kagami as she dried the plates he handed to her. Kuroko was in charge of putting them away in the cabinet.

After dinner, the three had volunteered to clean up and and left the rest in the living room to enjoy TV and Tomoko's special salted caramel custard. The team had asked to help as well, but Okuma Yuuma had requested to talk to Hyuuga and the team about the details of the camp, giving her daughter some alone time with the two partners.

"I'm used to it," Kagami grunted and looked away with a small blush on his face. "You better have saved me a custard, brat."

"Don't worry! You and Kuroko-kun will get an extra big slice for helping me."

"Arf!" Number 2 barked from under her legs, panting and staring up at her expectantly.

"And you will get a treat as well, Number 2!" she grinned. She passed the dry plate to Kuroko, who took it and gently set it on the rack inside the cabinet. "I'm really excited for tomorrow~"

"I hope we can convince your parents to let you go," Kuroko-kun said softly.

Tomoko grinned sheepishly, "Yeah... Sorry for making you guys come so suddenly."

"I didn't mind."

"We got to eat good food," Kagami muttered as he handed her another clean bowl.

"I think mom and dad were surprised at the amount of rice you could eat, Taiga-chan; you're like a vacuum!" Tomoko teased.

"Shut up, brat," the redhead rubbed some soap suds onto the girl's face with spite, and she squealed before running behind Kuroko for protection. He continued to pursue the two and soon there was a full-blown soap war in the kitchen.

With Kuroko taking on the job of being Tomoko's loyal body guard, the girl received less suds on herself and she took full advantage of that and fired more suds towards Kagami.

"That's cheating!"

Tomoko stuck her tongue out, "You're just jealous Kuroko-kun is on my side! Kuroko-kun, use your ignite pass!"

"O-Oi!"

A large amount of bubbles and water flew across the kitchen and splashed onto Kagami's face, courtesy of the complying shadow. He growled and got into a battle stance.

"You're goin' down now, brats!" he took the sprayer from the sink and aimed it at the two of them. With a giant grin on his soapy face, he waved the sprayer around to get a better chance at getting them both, and it proved victorious. Kuorko's hair was dripping with water, while Tomoko...

The water got on her white tee, and that made it cling to her body almost like a second skin. Crimson dashed across Kagami's face, the color rivaling his hair color.

"Mou," Tomoko wiped some droplets of water off of her face and grinned brightly at the redhead. "You got us good... Taiga-chan?"

"Okuma-san," there was a small blush on Kuroko's cheeks as well despite looking stoic. "Maybe you should go change..."

Tomoko looked at the two teens blankly before she realized what Kuroko was referring to, and why they were both avoiding to look at her. "...Oh!" she blinked, her cheeks warming up. "I'll be back."

As she ran up the stairs to her room for a change of clothing, she didn't notice her dad standing near the entrance of the kitchen, having been watching the event that transpired between his daughter and the light and shadow duo.

When he finally stepped into the kitchen, he garnered the attention of the two flustered teens. Their eyes widened (Kagami was especially panicking), not knowing how to explain the situation to the older man.

"We're sorry for the mess, Okuma-san..."

Yuuma laughed heartily at their stricken expressions. "No harm done. You two are fond of my daughter, no?" The looks on their faces was all the clue Yuuma needed to confirm that fact, and he was quite interested in the two. "I can see that you two and the rest of the team are fairly nice people, so I can expect my daughter to be safe while on this trip?"

"Y-Yes sir!" Kagami nodded feverishly. Kuroko bowed.

"Okuma-san will be in good hands, Okuma-san."

Yuuma laughed out loud again and set a hand on Kuroko's shoulder, "That's a mouthful! I'm sure you can address my daughter in a less formal way."

"Um..."

"You have to take initiative sometimes. Otherwise it might slip away from your fingertips," Yuuma winked before turning to leave the kitchen area to where the rest of the team sat. He talked loud enough so everyone could hear him. "Alright boys, I wish you all have a fun time and practice hard during your training camps. Keep my little kuma safe."

He knew the team were responsible enough to do just that without him saying it, but as a father, he had to take on proper father duties. He smiled as the caramel haired girl returned downstairs with a clean, dry shirt and her team went up to tell her the news excitedly.

Tomoko has no trouble attracting people; the real challenge for his daughter will be _choosing_ one.

* * *

The next morning was bright and warm, a perfect day that contrasted the Seirin Basketball team's dread of diving head-first into a week of hell. But the laughter of beach-goers and the salty air from the ocean created a sort of excitement within the boys as well.

"I can smell it! And just look at the sea-nery!" Izuki exclaimed with opened arms.

"Izuki, shut up."

"Let's go swimming!"

Hyuuga rolled his eyes at the energetic players. They were hyped up for all the wrong reasons. "This is a training camp, you idiots!"

A black car rolled up slowly towards the group of boys and the window came down to reveal Riko's dad, Aida Kagetora, with dark shades on and a threatening scowl. "Just know, brats... Lay a hand on my daughter and I'll kill you."

Hyuuga and the team shakily promised the Aida head that no harm will come to Riko and the black car sped off. The males shivered; they were fools for ever thinking _Tomoko's_ dad would be this bad.

"Coach's dad..." Hyuuga gulped.

"He's as scary as ever," Koganei, who got spooked out of his high, finished for the rattled captain.

Riko was all smiles as she led everyone down towards a secluded area on the beach where two tall basketball hoops stood in the sand. There were markings on the sandy floor to mirror a basketball court. Following the team, Tomoko was giddy as well as she felt the warm sand under her sandaled feet.

"What's that for?" Izuki asked about the installations.

"My dad brought them here for me," Riko explained with a smirk. "We're going to play basketball on the sand!"

"W-What?!"

"Imagine the team's power as an equation. If the individuals' numbers are low, we'll never make a big number. What Seirin needs right now..."

Riko turned around and rested her hands on her hips, "Is to improve the skills of each individual player! But even so, we're not aiming to create a team of individual strengths, but to increase each one of the powers so we combine as a team. Seirin wins as a team. So, in order to improve all of your actions, we have to start with the foundation of your legs and hips."

"Oh, that's why practice is on the beach," Tomoko nodded with understanding. She was catching on to the coach's words; the beach makes it twice as hard for the guys to move around, but give them twice the amount of payback when it's done.

Kagami stomped on the soft sand experimentally. "This is gonna be hard..."

"We'll start by doing three times the normal amount of practice," the coach grinned. She went to take off her shirt; under it was a slimmer and more revealing navy tank-top. She then latched the whistle onto her neck and put it in her mouth, "Let's get this training camp from hell started!"

"Good luck, guys!" Tomoko patted Kuroko and Kagami's back with encouragement. She picked up Number 2 and waved his tiny paw in the air, "I heard we'll be able to move into the gym in the evening!"

_If we can survive until then...!_

The team thus spent the entire morning and afternoon under the beating sun, practicing passing, shooting, and their footwork. There were trial and errors, like when Kuroko tried to pass the ball towards the ground, and when Kagami forgot about the sandy floor and tried to dunk with a jump and failed to calculate the distance. Each individual also had to participate in a five mile run along the length of the beach.

By the end of the afternoon, the boys were a sweating and panting mess. Before they moved to the gym, though, Riko allowed them to dunk themselves into the ocean to cool off.

The beach training proved to be extremely useful, as everyone seemed to have improved their footwork tremendously by the end of the day. The evening gym practice flew by like a breeze, and soon nightfall came and the team returned to their inn for a much deserved bath and rest.

* * *

"Ahhhhhhh," Teppei sunk further into the 100 yen massage chair in the inn. It was a successful day of training, but it took a toll on his recovering body and the bath and massage chair was just what he needed. "I feel rejuuuuvenated~"

"You sound like an old man," Riko commented as she happened to walk past the male from the women's bathhouse.

"Riiiiiiko, have you seen Hyuuuuuga?"

"He just went outside with a ball."

"Seriousssssly? Man, he never runs out of energy," Teppei grinned.

When there was no response from the coach, he opened his eyes and saw that her back was to him. "Teppei, what do you think of this training camp?" Riko asked.

The time cap on the massage chair shut the chair off right at that moment and the second-year slid down slightly from the chair. It was good while it lasted. "Hm? Are you not satisfied with it?" he questioned.

"No, but..."

He sighed and gave her a reassuring smile. "You're doing the right thing. This practice really will improve everyone's fundamentals. I could already see it from the practice game at the gym earlier. If there's a problem, it'll be with the players. And if there's something we need to improve the team even more, it's for each player to understand his role—like establishing a style. When you're trying to learn a new technique, understanding yourself is a first."

Riko finally faced him, having felt somewhat better. Teppei then looked to the side, "Well, Kuroko and the other second-years haven't managed that yet."

"I hate how you act like you know everything," she pouted. But it was true; Teppei was exceptionally wise for his age, when he wanted to be, at least. She cracked a small smile, "You could have become captain, you know. You and Hyuuga are both good for the job."

"Eh," Teppei chuckled with a small smile. "You push, he pulls—the team needs that and that's why Hyuuga's the better fit... It's why I asked him to do it."

A sigh left Riko's mouth, "If you say so..." Another moment of peaceful silence passed by before she spoke again. "You were saying we can't keep going at this rate, right?" Teppei looked thoughtful at the issue.

"If only we had some kind of spark."

_A spark..._ the brunette echoed in her mind. _Something or someone that can ignite the style within the players? _Immediately, one person came to mind.

"Perhaps we do have one," she smiled.

* * *

Kagami was feeling especially sore the next morning; even the movement of brushing his teeth caused some pangs down his arm.

_All part of getting stronger... Getting stronger..._

Finishing up, he turned on the faucet and rinsed his mouth of the minty toothpaste. He bent down to spit it out at the same time someone else did.

"What the—!"

It was Kuroko.

"Did you do that on purpose?!" he shouted. "And what's with your hair!"

The shadow greeting him a good morning with droopy eyes. One could tell he had just gotten out of bed by looking at the disarray of blue hair spiking every direction on his head. The boy scratched his head lazily and yawned.

"Eh, this place is kind of a dump... I feel like I'm going to see a ghost."

"Shut up, Takao."

Kagami and Kuroko shifted their attention towards the couple that was walking by from behind. They were surprised to see the two players from Shutoku here... And when they noticed Kagami and Kuroko, they expressed the same shock.

"What?!"

"Hello," Kuroko greeted, messy hair and all. "It's nice to see you again."

Midorima must have been down on his luck today since he has yet to purchase today's lucky item. But this was some next level misfortune... He had just woken up for God's sake! "Why are you here?!" he accused.

The redhead furrowed his brows and mirrored Midorima's accusatory tone, "I could be asking you the same thing!"

"Shutoku has a long tradition of coming here to train," Takao shrugged casually. He thought it was an interesting turn of events. Plus, if Kagami and Kuroko was here with the team, that means a certain caramel haired manager was, too.

"What are you guys yelling about so early in the morning?" Riko stepped into the hallway after hearing the loud argument. "We're all waiting for you in the cafeteria!"

She was wearing an apron, meaning she had been cooking, but...

Why was she holding a butcher knife, and why is there a mysterious red liquid all over her body?! It looked to the four males as if she had just finished slaughtering somebody in the kitchen! They panicked internally—ready to bolt—but from behind the coach suddenly popped out Tomoko with a bright smile on her face.

"Woah, Midorima-kun and Takao-kun are here too?"

There was also dabs of red on her cheek and apron, but it didn't look as scary as the Seirin coach who was _dripping_ with it...

"Tomo-chan, what are you guys covered in? Is—Is that blood?!" The girl laughed at Takao's frantic assumptions and shook her head.

"I was teaching Riko-san how to properly cut tomatoes to make into a juice... But somehow the tomatoes in the pot exploded on us!"

A sigh of relief could be audibly heard from the four terror-stricken males. _How is that even possible...? At least someone didn't die... _

At their flabbergasted state, Tomoko bounced up to the group and pulled on Kagami's and Kuroko's arm, beckoning them to come to the cafeteria.

"We made ham and cheese omelettes! C'mon!"

"What is your school, Kuroko?!" Midorima finally bellowed; the image of Seirin's 'bloodied' coach still haunting his mind.

"It's Seirin High School," the shorter boy answered promptly, causing a tick to go off in the green haired player's eye as it was not what he had meant. Kagami snickered.

"Fate may be on your side, but common sense sure ain't!"

The mention of fate caused Tomoko to remember something. "Oh!" she exclaimed and went up to the fuming miracle. She dug into her apron pocket to reveal a yellow rubber ducky with a red top hat. "I found this in the bathhouse last night and didn't know what to do with it. Do you want it, Midorima-kun?" she asked. The male seemed like the type to keep stuff like that, since he always bought and collected lucky items. "It might come in handy one day!"

Midorima paused his anger and blinked incredulously at the item. He couldn't believe that the girl would give him the rubber ducky, especially since it was _exactly_ what his lucky item of the day was—top hat and all.

It should be a coincidence, but there was no such thing as that in his eyes... _Only fate..._

"Well?"

He snapped out of his trance and quickly snatched the toy out of Tomoko's hand. "Do not think anything of this."

"Che! He's so unpleasant!" Kagami rolled his eyes before dragging the girl down the hall with the rest of his group. "Stop being all nice to him!"

"I believe Midorima-kun can be nice, too," she retorted, twisting her head back just slightly to wave goodbye to said male and his companion. "See you guys later!"

Takao waved back cheerfully as they went down the hall. Afterwards, when the Seirin students were out of earshot, he turned back to the green haired Shutoku player and grinned.

"Look at that, Shin-chan! You received a gift from Tomo-chan! How do you feel?"

Midorima only stared at the rubber ducky in his tapped hand. How did he feel? The truth was, he didn't know what to feel when he was around her...

_She is an anomaly even Oha-Asa cannot predict._

* * *

_"Serious question, Hyuuga—which do you think is more hellish? This summer camp or Riko's cooking?"_

_"Her cooking, by far."_

* * *

**P.S. This chapter/episode was the inspiration for the title! Teppei for the win ^/^**


	19. Don't Get the Wrong Idea

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! *^* And it's also my senior prom... LOL, I'll be spending my evening at a dance dateless (but at least my dress is hella gorgeous and I hope my friends won't decide that they're single and ready to mingle without me LOL). If only I could bring my favorite character from _Kurobasu_ to prom as a date... Can you guys guess who? Winner gets brownie points!

And as for now... Get ready for some fan service! *cheers*

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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_I can't believe Coach only made me run errands for the past few days... I hardly got in any training time! _

The orange basketball landed into the hoop with a loud _bang_. Kagami wiped some sweat off of his forehead. He wasn't sure what the coach was getting at with making him run back and forth—he even missed the games against Shutoku!

"Looks like you're practicing hard!"

_Speak of the..._

Kagami grabbed onto the ball and faced a smiling Riko. "Eh, I was just..." he trailed off as a more pressing question came to mind. "Actually, what's up with this training camp? I've just been running on the beach by myself the entire time!"

"What? Really?" Riko grinned teasingly, further irking the redhead.

"Why'd I even come here if I wasn't going to train with the guys...?"

"You really haven't noticed?"

"...Huh?"

"Ah, I'll give you a clue then," she smiled. "First, I want you to jump for me."

* * *

"It was so lucky to bump into you at the convenient store, Tomo-chan~! But how come you didn't buy any drinks for your team?"

There were small skips in Tomoko's every step as she walked besides the Shutoku point guard. She giggled, "Riko-san's been making Taiga-chan buy our supply of energy drinks nonstop so we're super stocked up!"

"Oh, I was wondering why he was never there for our practice games..." Takao said with amusement. "Why isn't he training?"

"He is... Just in a way that will benefit _him_ the most."

"Ehhh~ Is Seirin hiding a secret weapon from us?"

"I wouldn't say that. It's more like sharpening a known weapon... At least that's how Riko-san put it," Tomoko smiled knowingly, leaving the ravenette in wonder.

As a coach, Riko must know the limits of each player and utilize different ways to better bring out each player's strength. Riko, and even Teppei, has seen how erratic the redhead's jumps can be because of his right handed dunks. When he only uses his right hand, he tends to jump with his left foot.

When Tomoko asked about the purpose of the redhead's long jogs across the beach, Riko told her it was for training his legs and trying to get him used to using both of them and not just the left.

The brilliant brunette has come to realize that Kagami's full strength doesn't lie within his left foot jumps...

_BAM!_

The sudden noise startled Tomoko and Takao and prompted them to check out what was happening at the parking lot. Ducking behind the long row of shrubbery, they were both surprised to find Kagami and Riko standing in the middle of the lot.

"What is your coach and Kagami doing..." Takao started to say, but stopped talking when Tomoko pointed upward to the backboard of the hoop. He raised a single brow at the half hand print marked on the clear board. _He easily jumped higher than the hoop..._

"You're tired, so that's all you can manage right now. Try jumping the other way now."

Takao leaned forward to get a closer look at what Riko was trying to tell the redhead to do.

"She means his right foot," Tomoko whispered with anticipation. It was also a first time for her to see what Kagami could do with his right foot, so of course she was excited. A coin suddenly fell out of the ravenette's pocket, however, and it made him turn away temporarily so he could pick it up.

While he was looking for the coin, a louder bang and the Seirin coach's shout recaptured his attention but it was too late for him to do anything.

"Takao-kun!"

He was suddenly pulled away, landing about a foot from where the basketball hoop crashed down on the shrubbery and stuck out on the other side. It was so close to him and Tomoko that he could literally still feel the whiplash... And hot air?

He looked down and gasped.

The fast motion of Tomoko pulling him away to safety had caused him to tumble forward onto the girl, and currently, they were in a compromising position. The caramel haired girl was under him while he had his two arms on either side of her head. They were so close he could feel her soft pants.

"I-I'm sorry!" Takao whisper-shouted and immediately got off of Tomoko. She blinked before sitting up; the event happened so fast her brain was only thinking about the safety of the ravenette and not the compromising position they were in.

"That was a close one! Are you okay?" she also whisper-shouted, patting dirt off her clothing. She glanced at the fallen basketball hoop that was a foot away and widened her eyes. "Wow..."

Takao followed her gaze and his expression mirrored Tomoko's. On the transparent backboard, _several inches_ above the half hand print, was a full, more prominent hand print. _He touched the top?!_

"Do you see now?" Riko's voice projected from the other side of the shrubbery. "Your greatest weapon is your jumping power, but you haven't drawn out your full strength yet. You need to work on preparing yourself physically... Then the rest is up to you."

Footsteps patted the ground as Riko walked away with one last order for the redhead.

"Remember to stand the hoop back up before you come back."

Only the cacophony of crickets filled the night air as the three teens, two of them unknown to the redhead laying on the ground on the other side, reprocessed everything in their heads.

The right foot jump that Kagami possessed... It was almost inhuman.

"Oh."

Takao and Tomoko turned their heads and saw the blue haired phantom player. He had a look of confusion as he stared at the two crouched down next to a fallen hoop.

"Yo!" Takao casually greeted.

"Kuroko-kun, what are you doing here?" Tomoko asked with a smile. Kuroko blinked.

"It was getting late and dinner's starting, so I came to get you and Kagami-kun."

"It's that time already?" the ravenette looked around. Indeed, it was pretty dark already. "I guess I should..."

While he was getting up, new footsteps on the other side suddenly made him freeze and duck down again, grabbing Kuroko along with him. "Shhhh!" he put a finger over his lips to both the confused boy and Tomoko.

They peeked over the shrubbery. Midorima had walked past and was now in a stare-down with Kagami.

"Keep quiet~!" Takao was trying so hard not to burst out laughing. The interaction between the two was bound to be interesting. "Shin-chan's always hilariously pissy around him."

_We haven't said anything,_ Tomoko and Kuroko thought. However, they looked on with interest as well. The fallen hoop besides them was lifted off the ground and centered upright with a loud _creak_. After the short loud noise, they then toned in to the two hostile males' conversation.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. I simply went to buy a drink."

A small pause. "You drink red bean soup in the summer?"

"It's cold, you fool."

At that, Takao and Tomoko held their tongues to prevent making a sound. The two males were so awkward! Midorima sounded like a scolding father...

"I have lost faith in you... Before losing to me, you were destroyed by Aomine."

"I'll win next time!" Kagami shouted, reflecting Tomoko and Kuroko's thoughts. "Just you wait!"

"Don't tell me you believe you can fight him in the air. Is jumping all you think about, fool? Just jumping won't solve your problems; it's only half the answer and not yet a weapon," Midorima had set down his canned soup and picked up the neglected basketball. "I will correct your simplistic thinking."

_He's not just picking a fight... _Takao thought. But what could his friend mean by only 'half the answer'?

"We'll play ten tries. You're on offense, and I'm on defense. If you score even once, you win."

"Ha?" Kagami looked pissed, "I don't know what you're thinking, but do you really think you can stop me ten times in a row?! Let's see you do it!"

"Don't worry. I will not lose."

The three silently watched as Kagami bounced the ball in his left hand and got into his offensive stance. Midorima also got ready to defend. The first round started with Kagami successfully twisting around Midorima and preparing for a high jump to dunk.

However, the ball was almost effortlessly slapped out of his hand by the green haired miracle.

It went on like this for the next eight tries. Kagami would jump higher than the last one and Midorima would slap it out of his hand right before the ball touched the net. For some reason, the redhead kept on losing the aerial battle even though he was showing improvement and out-jumping the miracle.

_Their moves are completely repetitive,_ Tomoko scrunched up her nose in thought.

"One more!" Kagami panted after failing yet again.

"No, I am done. No matter how many times we play, it will be the same," Midorima replied, picking up his canned soup. Kagami turned around to retort angrily, but the miracle cut him off. "Notice your flaw already, idiot. No matter how high you jump, stopping you is easy because..."

Tomoko suddenly realized it. _He knows... Just like Aomine-kun knew the pass..._

"I know you will dunk."

Midorima walked away from the redhead and towards the shrubbery where the three were hiding and listening. He glanced at them with a phlegmatic expression. "Let's go, Takao."

"Eh? You knew?" Takao laughed nervously.

"Do not disappoint me at the Winter Cup preliminaries," Midorima specifically looked at Kuroko when he said this before turning around with Takao in tow. Kuroko nodded.

"We won't."

The parking lot was quiet again once the two Shutoku players left. With Midorima's parting words, the three, Kagami himself included, knew that Kagami needed something more to be able to not only successfully fight Aomine, but the rest of the miracles in the future battles.

The redhead stood in the middle of the desolate parking lot, staring at the ball in his hands and thinking about what he could do to become stronger. Riko had said that his training and improvement was a start, but he needed to switch up his overall style to conquer this problem...

"...That was something, wasn't it?" Tomoko softly asked the blue haired boy next to her. Their presence was still surprisingly unknown to the redhead.

"Yes," Kuroko agreed. "There is truth in Midorima-kun's words."

"I thought it was nice of him."

Kuroko looked at her blankly, not quite understanding what she meant.

"I mean, he just came over and gave Taiga-chan advice," she replied, standing up to dust her knees—her legs were going to fall asleep if she didn't stretch them out soon. Salmon eyes gazed at the tiny green blob under a far away streetlight and a smile made its way to her lips.

Kuroko saw her happy expression and opened his mouth to say something, but the girl accidentally cut him off when she realized that a certain someone was no longer there.

"Eh? Where did Taiga-chan go?"

* * *

The following day was the basketball team's last day at the beach, and the guys spent the early morning cleaning up their belongings at the inn.

Tomoko, on the other hand, had something else in mind. After quickly packing away her belongings, she set out around the inn to find someone. When she reached the gym, she found who she was looking for.

Midorima was, as usual, practicing alone in the gym. Shutoku was scheduled to leave today as well, but Midorima was punching in some extra practice time before his team leaves.

"Midorima-kun!"

The male visibly froze at the sound of her voice before turning around and confirmed it was the cheeky manager. "Shouldn't you be leaving with your team?" he quickly responded, not looking at her.

"Yeah," she smiled, "but we have some extra time so I wanted to come thank you for what you did last night."

Midorima paused. "I did not do anything."

"Maybe you thought it was nothing, but I can see it really helped Kuroko-kun and Kagami," Tomoko said reassuringly. After the miracle had left, she and Kuroko found the redhead running laps on the beach. She had decided to run with them just for fun and it was then they declared their resolve to her.

_"The truth is, all I can do with my left hand is dunk... But I know what I have to do by winter. I have to strengthen my legs and hips and improve my left-handed ball handling," Kagami told her with a burning fire in his eyes. "I'll become able to move at will in the air!" _

_Tomoko was panting hard as she ran besides the redhead and Kuroko. "T-That's the spirit, Taiga-chan!"_

_"It just pisses me off that Midorima was the one who made me realize that... All the members of the Generation of Miracles really are strong. Even when I got past Midorima's defense, he forced me to jump off my right leg."_

_"That could also mean that he fears you that much," Kuroko said. _

_"So Taiga-chan's just like a bird of prey looming by in the air," Tomoko mused, thinking back to an episode on the nature channel. "All of the other animals cower in fear of its talons and imposing shadow. The shadow is of course the first and last warning before the talons crush the prey!"_

_Something seemed to have clicked in the blue haired phantom's head after her comment, and suddenly he stopped his tracks. Tomoko stopped running as well, glad for the short break. _

_"What's wrong?" Kagami paused and looked back when the two did not follow. _

_Kuroko had a look of realization in his sapphire eyes. "Kagami-kun may be able to beat the Generation of Miracles in an aerial battle, but on the ground..." _

_"Ha? What are you getting at?" the redhead challenged. _

_"My passes don't work against them. If Kagami-kun can't do it, no one in Seirin stands a chance," Kuroko replied evenly. He glanced at the caramel haired girl briefly as she returned a confused look back. "But I just came up with something. A new kind of basketball to make the most of Kagami-kun and the rest of the team..."_

_"By mastering my own drive in addition to my passes, I will surpass the Generation of Miracles." _

"They both found a new way to challenge themselves," Tomoko told Midorima with a fond grin. "You really don't mind helping out your opponents do you," she laughed.

A small smirk made its way to the male's face. "I merely do not want to play a weak team in the preliminaries," he said with confidence, his words meaning to deter the girl from thinking he was just being 'nice.' But his smirk flew out the window when he felt two arms wrapping around his torso. "What are you doing—?"

"Just thanking you."

His stoic face turned a deep shade of red as the girl hugged him appreciatively. He didn't know what to do. Does he tell her to let go? Does he hug back? Oha-Asa did not prepare him for this!

_"Cancers will have an eventful day today! Let go of the small details and start something new!"_

Thankfully, she let go a second later—his body oddly missing the warmth—and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Remember when I told Kagami that you could be nice?" she asked, bringing the memory of their first day at the inn back. Clapping her hands behind her back, she bounced towards the entrance of the gym and looked back with that goofy lopsided smile she often had.

"You proved me right. You _really_ are a nice guy!"

"That is—" Midorima started to say, but looking at her happy expression, he sighed and dropped the topic. "You should go back to your team... Okuma."

Hearing her name leave his lips for the first time, Tomoko felt happy. Maybe he was finally starting to accept her as a friend! "I hope I'll get to see you again soon!" she called before leaving.

_Yeah... _Midorima smiled despite himself.

* * *

"Alright, everyone! Ready and..."

"Thank you very much!" the entire Seirin team chorused to the inn owner for his kind hospitality. After their goodbyes, the team walked out and marched down the sidewalk leisurely. Their first training camp was over!

"I feel alive again!" Koganei stretched his arms over his head. He was thinking what many were thinking in their heads; he actually survived the week of hell!

"We can finally rest for a bit now!"

"I want to sleep in my own bed!"

"Ah, I miss my pillow!"

The guys chatted idly as they headed for the train station. Home was only a train ride away and they could hardly wait. Tomoko walked besides Kuroko and Kagami and casually checked her phone; she was so busy this week she hardly even looked at it.

"Where do guys think you're all going?" Riko called from behind.

"Uh... The train station?" Hyuuga blinked at the obvious question. The brunette coach rolled her eyes.

"Why do you think we held our training camp here? This year they're holding the games here!"

"That's right..." Izuki took out his phone to search the net about the Interhigh team information. Meanwhile, Tomoko clicked open a message she received from a certain blonde miracle. "Today's quarterfinal game is between..."

"Kise-kun and Aomine-kun," she informed with surprise lacing her voice, beating Izuki to it. Everyone gasped as Izuki looked at her wide-eyed.

"Eh? How did you know?"

"Kise-kun texted me to ask me to wish him luck," she showed the pun-maker said text.

"Well what are you guys waiting for? Let's go watch it!" Riko ordered with a smirk.

And so the they found themselves traveling the short distance to the Interhigh building around their location on a public bus. There were some other people on it as well, but the team dominated most of the space. Tomoko was seated with Number 2 on her lap and next to Kuroko. Kagami was just behind them with an empty seat because he refused to have the husky pup next to him.

Tomoko fidgeted in her seat. She could hardly contain her excitement to see the game between Kaijo and Touou!

"...Tomoko-san," Kuroko called softly, catching her attention by surprise. It was understandable; he had called her by her given name just out of the blue. It's actually been a week since he had contemplated it, but only now did he finally find the courage to to take on the Okuma head's advice. "Um, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

Sensing his discomfort, Tomoko quickly shook her head. "You can call me that! I was just surprised... Like, a good surprise," she giggled. He let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad..." he said quietly.

"Does that mean I can call you Tetsu-chan~?"

"Um..."

A sweet laugh escaped from Tomoko's lips as she saw the pouty look on his face. "Okay, okay. Tetsuya-kun?"

The blue haired shadow immediately nodded.

"Then it's Tetsuya-kun and Taiga-chan!" she called happily.

"Are you talking about me, brat?" Kagami droned from behind them. He had been spacing off until he heard the girl call his name. They turned to face him in sync and unintentionally scared the crap out of him.

They were like two little kids with their hands gripping the back of the seat and only half of their faces peeking out!

"What do you guys want?" Kagami squinted at them with suspicion.

"Nothing, really," Tomoko replied casually. She poked the middle of his brow ridge. "You kind of look like Midorima-kun when you squint like that."

"Don't compare me to him!"

"Oh," Kuroko suddenly remembered something. "Just before we left, Midorima-kun gave me a message. He said, 'Do not let him think I am kind to losers. I only taught him a lesson because he's so stupid.'"

An eyebrow twitched on Kagami's forehead in irritation. The green haired miracle was intolerable after all. "Ha?! What made that bastard assume that I thought he was kind?" he replied with a scowl, not seeing the caramel haired girl secretly chuckling to herself.

"Also, 'Don't lose until I beat you,' apparently."

At least they were on the same page for one thing... But... "Like hell I'll lose!" Kagami smirked at that.

.

_nineteen_

**don't get the wrong idea**

.

The Interhigh building was roaring when the team entered. There were more people than ever before sitting on those bleachers, most likely because everyone came out to see the anticipated game between two Generation of Miracles.

The game before the two miracles' was still going on right now, but it shouldn't be long until the exciting battle begins.

"Kuroko," Kagami had a thoughtful look on his face. "Who do you think will win?"

"...I don't know," the shadow replied truthfully with eyes closed in concentration. "This is the first time I'll see any two Generation of Miracles play against each other. However... Aomine-kun was the one who inspired Kise-kun to play basketball."

"Really?"

Kuroko nodded while memories of Teiko came back to him. As the two got lost in their thoughts and the others went to find empty seats, they all didn't notice their caramel haired manager slipping away.

* * *

_Which one is Kaijo's team locker room...? _Tomoko walked mindfully down one of the halls of the large Interhigh building, hopelessly lost. She had thought that the building would be similar to the other ones she was in when Seirin played, but apparently each had their own unique structure.

_I don't understand why! The buildings all serve the same purpose..._ she pouted. But that was just her frustration talking. She just didn't think there would be _so_ many hallways!

She had just meant to pop into the Kaijo team's locker room for a split second to wish the blonde luck in person since she was here anyway, but now she was lost and the game was going to start in a few minutes...

At least she was somewhat close to the entrance of the building. The girl supposed she should just walk towards it and then start heading back to the bleachers were her team was. She sighed and turned around, "I guess I'll just leave a text and cheer for Kise-kun as loud as I can from the bleachers."

"Eh, you're going to cheer for Kise?"

_That voice...!_

"Aomine-kun?" Tomoko widened her eyes at the sight of the navy haired miracle. He looked like he had just ran a few laps with the sweat that was glistening on his tanned skin. "Wait, you're supposed to be with your team right now!" she accused.

"Chill out babe," Aomine grinned and looped an arm around her shoulders casually. "I was just warmin' up."

"Well get going 'cause the game is starting in five minutes!"

"You sound tense. Could it be that you're still upset about me beating Seirin?" he asked. Tomoko frowned at his suggestion and shrugged his arm away defiantly.

"No, I just think it'll be disrespectful to Kise-kun and his team if you come late to the game."

It was his turn to frown now. First she was going to cheer on the blonde and now she was defending his team and thinking about their feelings on their behalf? "Do you like him or something?"

Then again, he should have known. She seemed pretty close with Kise, especially since they model together apparently. Curse the blonde for always attracting the pretty ones...

Tomoko only stared at him blankly.

"Of course..." He widened his eyes as she trailed off slightly with a bright expression. "I like all of my friends!"

"That's not what I meant," Aomine then sighed exasperatedly. But somehow that answer satisfied him immensely. "...But whatever. You here alone?"

"I came with my team," she said, glancing at the clock briefly. "Aomine-kun, you really should start going back to your team. The game's almost starting and it wouldn't be the same if you weren't in it," she gave him a small smile and ushered him away. She turned to go back to her team as well.

_Wouldn't be the same...? _Aomine wasn't planning on missing the game because it was against _Kise_ of all people, but her words sort of fueled his spirit. Before she could walk back to the audience entrance, he called after her. "Oi..."

She looked back, "Hm?"

Aomine gave her a big smirk. It wasn't one of his sinister smirks this time; it was more goofy and childlike.

"Cheer for me too, alright?"

A moment passed by where the girl just stared at him intently. Then, she flashed her thumb upwards and smiled at him cheekily. "Sure thing!"

* * *

_Going forward, I may never catch up to him no matter how hard I try... But that's just what I want. I want to play basketball with this guy! Someday... Someday..._

Kise opened his golden eyes after that short revere of his wishful middle school self. The crowd was cheering loudly in the bleachers for Kaijo and Touou. He was at Interhigh. He was going to face Aomine Daiki. It wasn't 'someday' anymore.

_Today _is_ the day. _

The first whistle blew and the tip off began. The basketball ball soared high up into the air and a player on each team jumped after it at the same time.

"Yosh!"

Team Kaijo was the first to touch it and immediately, the player tossed the ball over to their captain, Kasamatsu.

_Forget the small things..._ Kasamatsu was fully concentrated as he formulated a way to get past the tricky Touou captain. He was nervous before the game, and he may even be nervous still, but he wasn't going to let anything get to him today. He threw the ball to his left with purpose._ After all, our ace is..._

"Kise!" Kasamatsu shouted. The ball made contact with the blonde miracle's awaiting hands.

Up on the bleachers, team Seirin was watching intently as Aomine stopped in front of Kise in a one-on-one showdown.

"They're already going at it!" Tomoko commented. She had successfully returned to her seat just before the teams came out, though not undetected. However, Kuroko and Kagami didn't say anything saved for a brief questioning look.

Everyone gasped in surprise when the blonde miracle broke past Aomine at lightening speed after the short stare down. But before he could make it towards the net, Aomine had already caught up behind him and slapped the ball away. It bounced across the court and Touou immediately stole the ball.

Tomoko watched the interactions between Touou and Kaijo as they fought for the ball and the first score advantage. At the end of the short struggle, it was Touou's shooting guard, Sakurai Ryou, who scored with an insanely quick release even as he was being guarded closely by Moriyama.

Touou thus gained the first three points of the game.

_Hm... But Kise-kun is extremely talented and can adapt any kind of style in the blink of an eye, so..._

The game continued and Kise once again received the ball thanks to his seniors. He jumped up, mirroring Sakurai's posture and replicated his quick release. However, like Aomine had done many times during his game with Seirin, he effortlessly blocked the ball and caused Kise's shot to miss.

"It can't be good that their ace is already being repeatedly shut down," Izuki said from behind. It was merely the first few seconds of the game and it was already so intense! It seems that Touou was gaining control.

"But the team doesn't just consist of one ace," Tomoko replied, smiling when she saw Kasamatsu flashing by Imayoshi and stole the ball. "There are other players who are working together to gain points as well!"

The crowd roared as the score buzzer sounded. Kaijo's score was now tied with Touou!

"Defense! Let's stop them!" Kasamatsu shouted to his teammates who were all ready to back him up. The game was just getting started—they're all fired up now!

Aomine got ready to go against Kise again. While he had another stare down with the blonde, Tomoko saw that they were saying something to each other before Aomine made a motion to toss the ball to his side.

"A pass?" Kagami commented with surprise. Did Aomine or the Generation of Miracles _ever_ pass?

Instead of letting the ball fly across the court like everyone thought it would, Aomine had moved so fast that he caught the ball again with one hand and then maneuvered his body to the other side and completely broke away from Kise.

But as soon as he moved away, Kise was already stepping up to defend the basket.

Aomine smirked and released the ball nonetheless.

"There it is... That formless shot!"

The point of the formless shots was simple: it was so irregular that no one would actually be able stop it from going in the net. Once the point was made, surely Touou would have complete control of the first quarter.

But the shot didn't go in as expected.

"No way!"

"Kise... He...?"

"You got it, Kise-kun!" Tomoko cheered from her seat. Even she didn't imagine he could do something like _that_. He had to have timed his jump precisely to reach the ball!

Kise Ryouta was a regular on Teiko after all, and he wasn't called the Generation of Miracles simply because he was part of the team. He had raw strength and the ability to learn quickly—and these two things was what made him able to completely shut down Aomine's formless shot.

With the assistance from his team, Kise finally took control of the first quarter. Kaijo was in the lead by five points when the buzzer sounded for the end, and so second quarter seemed to not have as much pressure on them—it didn't mean they were going to let their guard down. The same slight relaxation from pressure couldn't be said for Touou... But the pressure was actually exciting them, _especially_ Aomine.

Tomoko looked at the two players on the court as they faced off one-on-one for the nth time in the period of two mere quarters. They were both really amazing when it came to skill, however, she felt that there was something deeper underlying everything.

"They are very familiar with each other's moves... Did Kise-kun and Aomine-kun play against each other frequently?" she asked Kuroko. Everyone would expect teammates to know each other's styles if they're on the same team, but they won't necessarily be able to counter each other's for that exact reason. Aomine and Kise were different.

"They did," Kuroko said, sapphire eyes boring into her salmon ones. "But Kise-kun has never beaten Aomine-kun in a one-on-one."

_Never...? _she blinked in surprise.

Kise and Aomine was still fighting for the ball and the two teams struggled to defend their baskets so the other team won't get anymore points. The second quarter was being dragged on as the atmosphere became tenser.

"Kise-kun looked up to Aomine-kun a lot because he was so strong and Kise-kun believed that no one can defeat him. But I think today is different," Kuroko continued. On the court, the look on Kise's golden orbs said it all for the blue haired phantom. "Kise-kun will try to copy Aomine-kun's style."

Around him, his teammates regarded his remark in shock.

"He can do that?" Hyuuga asked.

"Or rather, has he not been able to before?" Koganei chipped in. Kuroko shook his head.

"No, Kise-kun can only copy what he can do. He cannot copy anything he can't do."

"Huh?" the cat-like teen was even more confused now.

"Put simply, he's just a fast learner," Riko gathered. "He can't recreate the movements of NBA players or anyone better than himself."

Next to the coach, Teppei nodded in understanding. "But if he's trying to do something, it means he believes he can do it."

The buzzer for the end of the second quarter rung with Imayoshi's buzzer beater. The score was now 34 to 43 with Touou in the lead. However, the looks on team Kaijo's faces were one of someone already planning on how to win the score back the next half.

As everyone got up to stretch or walk around during the short intermission, Tomoko's eyes traveled to the blonde on the court and softened.

"He's going to stop admiring Aomine-kun now, isn't he?"

* * *

"Kise, how much longer will it take?" Kasamatsu asked regarding the process of learning Aomine's style. They were back in their team locker room, thinking over strategies with their coach.

The blonde was silent with concentration as he went over everything he's seen and learned from the past when he watched the tanned miracle play. It wasn't going to be easy, but...

"At the earliest, the second half of the third quarter. If I mess up, it might take until the fourth quarter."

The seniors took that information in with weary. They would have to be very cautious and mindful of Touou's every move until then. Kise suddenly stood up.

"Sorry, but can I go outside for a bit? I need to clear my head." When the shorter captain nodded, Kise went his way.

"We'll have to play the entire third quarter without him. Is that really okay?" Kobori Koji, the team's center and vice captain asked with a sort of unease.

_We can't do that against a team like Touou... _Kasamatsu furrowed his brows in thought. The team needed Kise's strength to continue... He suddenly breathed out with a new found resolve and his eyes opened with steely determination. _No, we'll do it._

"We can't push the battle onto Kise alone. His real strength will come out when he's ready to go against Aomine... So until then, we'll work to pave him the smoothest path possible!"

* * *

"He'll go against Aomine-kun with his own style?" In Touou's team locker room, their coach echoed Momoi's speculation with a frown.

"Yes," Momoi confirmed. "Not just a single move, but an entire style with his own improvements."

It was crazy to think that Kise would ever attempt something like this, but it was possible. Aomine's style wasn't the easiest to copy, however, and it was going to take the blonde at least a quarter to complete.

"Hm..."

"Coach! If that's true, then there's no reason for Aomine to play the next half!" Wakamatsu pulled the handsome coach out of his train of thought and pointed to the resting miracle. "We should bench him or something—!"

"Oi, don't make such stupid suggestions," Aomine smirked, knowing that his comment would irk the loud blonde. "Why would you reduce your power on purpose? We'll keep going like this."

"What did say, you bastard?!"

"Heh. Kise, copying me?" he ignored the angry blonde and continued lazily. "There's no way that idea will work... But let's just say we give him the benefit of the doubt and it works—the result still won't change."

Silence fell upon the team as Aomine's words sunk in. There was such a tremendous amount of confidence in his voice that they all couldn't seem to refute it. It wasn't just that the miracle believed he couldn't lose, it was that he _knew_ he couldn't.

After all, like he always said...

The only one who can beat him, is himself alone. Even copies will never be better than the real thing.

* * *

_"Heh, I wouldn't miss this game. Kise's one of the few guys I can crush as hard as I can."_

_-Aomine Daiki_

* * *

**Please let me know how I'm doing! I love input and it inspires me ~ And stay toned for the next chapter! It's going to be action-packed with a hint of... Jealously? ;D**


	20. No Matter What

Thank you for all the birthday wishes and high-energy comments! I'm eternally grateful for the few readers who take their time to comment on my progress and/or talk to me just for fun. Quality over quantity, as I always say. I reply to most, if not all of the reviews, and in the process I think I've made some wonderful friends who are willing to take their time and reply to my messages and tolerate my goofy ass. You guys know who you are and y'all are all very precious to me... I get just a little emotional from all of the support and love each time! **T^T** THANK YOU~!

Also, **EVERYONE PLEASE READ this important message if nothing else! **I'm at a little crossroad and I need some help from you guys:

So I'm debating whether I should have Kagami develop feelings for Tomoko as a love interest or to have him develop a strong, brotherly bond with her. Their interactions so far have been pretty much in-between, I think, and I just wasn't sure if I liked them as a couple or as brother-and-sister more. I wanna know what you guys think... The ultimate decision will be mine (of course), but your votes will have a big influence and I'll be fair. Developing each of the characters and their interactions with Tomoko is very important to me—that said, if the relationship doesn't work out, please know that there will be a reason. ~That is all! Thank you for listening, and I hope you all can give me your votes in the reviews or PM me.

Now, without further ado... May this chapter set some ships a'sail to catch up with KuroKo (KuroMoko?)! XD

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

.

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_**SPARK**_

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.

.

Once outside, Kise felt a little better and could concentrate more. All his life, he's excelled in sports, his looks are attractive and had a promising career, and his academics, while not the best, was always passing. Meeting Aomine and becoming one with the Generation of Miracles had been something new to his otherwise routine lifestyle.

He admired Aomine so much, and while he wanted to beat the miracle, he also didn't want the miracle to ever lose. It was an endless cycle of looking up to someone and trying to beat that someone.

Kise let out a soft chuckle to himself and leaned over the metal railing that overlooked a large park and busy street. He finally realized today that if he truly desired to defeat Aomine, he's got stop looking up to him.

_That's the only way, after all..._

"Arf! Arf!"

"Shhh... We can't let people know you're here, Number 2!"

Kise turned towards the voice and widened his golden eyes. Seirin's manager was standing a few feet away from him with a husky pup in her arms. She looked surprised to see him as well.

"Kise-kun!" Tomoko greeted with a big smile, taking a few steps until she was right in front of him. Kise felt his heart warm with the presence of the girl. He hasn't seen her in a while, and to be honest, he really missed her.

"Kuma-cchi~!" he cried happily. He wanted to give her a hug, but the dog was staring at him from her arms. "Eh... What's with the dog?"

"Number 2 hid in a bag during the game because the building didn't allow pets to enter. Since it's break time, I decided to take Number 2 out for some fresh air while the others went to get refreshments," she told him and then lifted a finger to her lips with a small wink. "Please keep this little guy a secret!"

Kise crouched a little to face the cute little puppy. Honestly, it kind of reminded him of Kuroko with those familiar blue eyes... "There's plenty I could say about that... But I won't because it's you, Kuma-cchi," he said to the caramel haired girl.

"You're the best, Kise-kun!"

"So, what are you doing here?" Kise asked before an excited grin appeared on his handsome face. "Wait, could it be that you came here to cheer me on?!"

Tomoko set Number 2 down by her feet before answering. She grinned as well, "Our training camp was nearby and your game happened to be on the same day the camp ended, so we came to watch." Seeing the sullen look on the blonde's face, she immediately added, "However, I did come to cheer for you! Ah, w-well, Aomine-kun also ask me to cheer for him too..." she rambled off as she remembered the tanned miracle's request before the game. "_But_! You and your team were really amazing out there against Touou!"

"R-Really?" Kise sniffed. _Why would Aomine-cchi want her to cheer for him?_

"Mhmm!"

Kise couldn't help but stare at the cute look on the perky girl's face. He had the urge to kiss her on those soft looking lips... He reached over and grabbed her arm, pulling her to his chest. "Honestly... I wish you went to Kaijo," he mumbled into her hair, suppressing his urges because he didn't want to scare the girl. She was so warm and her hair smelled like sweet honey shampoo.

"E-Eh?" Tomoko sounded confused, her voice vibrating on his chest. "Why?"

He pulled away just enough to see her brilliant salmon eyes.

"So I can get to see you every day... I'm so jealous of Kuroko-cchi and the others." It wasn't like Tokyo was far away from Kanagawa, but he knew he wouldn't be able to see her as often as Kuroko or Midorima or Aomine, who all _live_ in Tokyo. As a response, Tomoko blinked a few times before laughing good naturedly and patted his head.

"You know you can come visit me as often as you'd like, Kise-kun."

Kise whined. Obviously, coming to visit sometimes will never be enough to satisfy his want to see her every day. What _would_ satisfy him... A sudden thought came to his mind and he gave her a daring look.

"Kuma-cchi..." he stared seriously into her eyes, "Who do you think will win this game? Me or Aomine-cchi?" A soft breeze blew over and caressed Tomoko's caramel locks as she grew silent to think about his question.

"I can't say for certain," she told him truthfully. "I'm not saying that I'm wishing for a certain team to win... Anything can happen, you know? If Kaijo wins, I'll be happy for you. If Touou wins, it won't change my beliefs about what a strong team Kaijo is. Losing doesn't make you weaker... Every game makes you grow just a little more."

Another short silence filled the atmosphere as Kise took in her words. He then chuckled, "Ah well~ I won't give up to Aomine-cchi." Tomoko beamed at his determination. "But..."

She leaned in, listening intently.

"If I do win, can I ask for something from you?"

"Ask for...? Oh, like a present?" she asked with a tilt of her head. When the blonde nodded, her eyes brightened up with realization. "We can go out for celebratory ice-cream! Kasa-kun and the rest can come too! Or—"

"A kiss."

She nodded absentmindedly, continuing to think of things from the top of her head, "—a kiss, or... W-Wait, what?" she blinked.

Kise leaned in closer until he was just a few inches away from her face. A cute blush bloomed on her cheeks and he told himself that he will try to make that happen more often. "If I win, I want a kiss from Kuma-cchi."

"E-Eh...?"

Seeing that she blushing madly now and at a loss for words, Kise couldn't help but feel proud of himself for being the cause of such a cute reaction. He then smiled and straightened himself up. "I'm just messing with you, Kuma-cchi. Your encouragement is enough~! I will do my best!"

"Arf!" He blinked and gazed at the husky by his feet.

"Huh?"

"...Ah, I think he's saying 'good luck'!" Tomoko replied, picking the puppy back up; his reassurance that he was only joking allowed her to compose herself once again, though she was still confused by his actions as well as her own. "You'll do great out there. I believe in you!"

Kise beamed. "You know... I always knew I'd win in middle school. There was no question about it and I've always accepted that as something natural... But now," he paused for a second as a small smirk surfaced, "it feels pretty exciting not knowing if I'll win."

Seeing this new side of the blonde miracle, Tomoko couldn't help but admire his thinking. There was a peaceful grin on her face, "You've change, Kise-kun."

"Have I?" Kise wondered aloud, ruffling his hair sheepishly. Of course he desired to win... But right now he can only wish the best for Kaijo. Something wet and rough suddenly licked the side of his cheek and caused him to look at the slobbery culprit with wide eyes.

"It's a good luck kiss... From Number 2!" Tomoko told him slyly. Kise laughed and wiped the slobber off of his cheek.

"Aw..." he whined childishly, but in the inside he was quite happy. "I guess I'll take his for now~" he said before waving goodbye to Tomoko and the husky. It was time for him to head back in.

"Good luck, Kise-kun!"

Kise sneaked another look at the girl just before she disappeared and smiled determinedly.

_I'll get a kiss from you one day, Kuma-cchi._

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_twenty_

**no matter what**

.

The game buzzer rung again and the match between Kaijo and Touou resumed. Tomoko was back in her seat with Number 2 tucked safely inside Kuroko's gym bag and everyone else had returned as well.

"Here's the milk tea you wanted, Tomoko-san," Kuroko handed the bottle over to the girl. She took it appreciatively.

"Thanks, Tetsuya-kun!"

Just behind them, Koganei and the other first-years regarded their exchange with surprise and interest.

"Since when did you guys started calling each other on first name basis?!" Koganei groused loudly.

Seeing all of the weird looks they were getting from around them, visible ticks appeared on Riko's features. "Why are you complaining so loudly, idiot?" she slapped the boy upside the head. The cat-like teen cupped his injured head with a pout.

"I was just curious!"

"You can try to be a little less obnoxious about it."

"It's fine between friends though, isn't it?" Teppei commented with a fatherly smile from besides the coach. Tomoko laughed.

"Yeah! I mean, I call Taiga-chan by his first name all the time."

"Not like I had a choice," Kagami grumbled with the roll of his eyes. "Never mind that, the game is starting," he said, pointing to the players down below. The team quieted down and drew their attention back to the match.

The pressure seemed to be even more intense on Touou... Kaijo was really stepping up their game on defending and their offense was more tight-knit than ever. It seemed that they were trying to take the attention off the blonde miracle as he worked on analyzing Aomine's style.

Quickly rendering Sakurai into a corner and stealing the ball, Kasamatsu then tossed the ball towards Kise and the miracle made a run for a quick break. Imayoshi blocked the path in front of Kise, but the miracle's demeanor caused the captain to regard him with confusion.

"Right to left crossover..."

He could clearly hear the blonde mumble his next moves, but Imayoshi was thrown in shock when a replica of one of Aomine's moves was used to pass him. Even Aomine was surprised that Kise made a similar copy of his own move in such a short amount of time.

_I underestimated you, Kise..._

Though, Imayoshi was far from letting this go. He quickly turned to block the dazed blonde again, but he accidentally swung his arm across and hit him in the chest. The whistle blew.

"Foul, holding! Black No. 4!"

Even though the move was still incomplete, he was learning so much faster than Momoi or anyone else had anticipated. Kise Ryouta was a real threat.

"Nice foul, captain!" Wakamatsu tried encouraging since the captain did stop the blonde from going further, but Imayoshi was far from satisfied and asked him a chiling question.

"Wakamatsu, remember the day when Aomine joined?"

"Huh?"

"I thought he seemed promising, and at the same time, got goosebumps when I imagined playing him," Imayoshi had an uneasy grin when Wakamatsu caught a glimpse of his face. "This guy is also bad news... I've got goosebumps."

Wakamatsu didn't believe it could be true. He didn't want to admit it of course, but...

He watched Kise bounce the ball twice before shooting his free throws. The first one went in, and so did the second one. The crowd cheered, and the heated game continued. Kaijo was catching up to them!

_He won't be able to defeat Touou... _he trailed off as his captain's words continued to echo in his head.

Before he even knew it, the ball slammed into Kaijo's basketball net almost completely horizontally. The scoreboard buzzed and the entire court looked at the person who shot it with shock.

Aomine had made the basket with one hand and he hadn't even moved an inch from his position. Even Kise, who was guarding him, was frozen mid-motion at that bold shot.

_...Because no one can be as good as that monster, _Wakamatsu finally finished with an incredulous smirk. A pain in the ass or not, he acknowledged Aomine's strength and skill.

"Don't drag your feet, Kise," Aomine scowled, clearly pissed with the blonde's stalling. His copy wasn't complete yet, so the way he was ramming about was only forcing fouls on Touou. "If you don't make it in time, it's over... I'm not patient enough to wait until you're ready, so just pack your bags and give up."

"I won't give up and lose to you... Not this game... Not _her_," Kise glared at the tanned miracle. He immediately knew that Aomine knew exactly who he was talking about when recognition flashed within his navy eyes. _Did I get him more fired up? So Kuma-cchi does mean something to him..._

Kise looked around; he just needed a little more time... Kasamatsu, Moriyama, Kobori, Hayakawa... They were all trying. Kasamatsu was being pressurized by Imayoshi, and like before, Touou seemed to have a complete understanding of each and every one of the players' next moves. It was making it hard for Kaijo to break through...

But Kasamatsu made the shot anyway, even if it was off to an extremely odd angle. At the rebound, Hayakawa was lying wait. The second-year immediately threw the ball to Kobori and points were scored for Kaijo.

"They made it! There's only a twelve point difference now!"

The black haired captain on Touou's team threw the ball towards Sakurai, their quick shooter. As the boy got ready to release the ball, Kise widened his eyes as he saw Moriyama flying past to block it, preventing the three-pointer to be made.

"Senpai..."

Moriyama glanced back at the blonde seriously, "Just focus on your own job... I'll help whenever I can." Of course, the flirty shooting guard couldn't stay serious for long and his expression became pouty. "In exchange, you can introduce me to girls if we win. Assemble a mixer or double date... But make sure you don't show up."

"Mo[ri]yama-san! I don't [think] this is the time to talk [about this] stuff!" Hayakawa sputtered frantically as they retreated.

Kise looked at his seniors' retreating backs with awe before a small laugh escaped his being. Just seeing his teammates working so hard together... _I think I'm starting to understand why Kuroko-cchi likes Seirin so much, and what Kuma-cchi meant before. Having a "team"..._

_"You can trust and rely on your teammates, that's why they're there. To be able to play basketball with those around you is the true joy," Tomoko smiled brightly. "Don't you think?"_

Kise knew what he needed to do for his team, and he knew what needed to happen now. His stance completely changed after that. He was ready.

_Aomine-cchi said "the only one who can beat me is me"... Then..._

"What if that 'me' is who you're playing against?" his golden eyes narrowed onto Aomine's as he asked the question lowly, swaying back and forth before taking off.

The tanned miracle widened his eyes as Kise shot past him.

* * *

Team Seirin looked at Kise's moves with both shock and awe. The arena was dead silent as if every single person in the building knew what the blonde had finally accomplished.

"His moves..." Hyuuga couldn't even keep up with it. "It's almost like..."

The speed in which Kise possessed that broke past Aomine was eerie and almost inhumanly fast. If there were imaginary fires around the two miracles, no doubt Kise's would be burning with just as much power as Aomine's.

"...There are _two_ Aomines," Tomoko finished breathlessly.

* * *

On Kaijo's side, the benched players cheered on Kise with incredible force behind their voices as he skipped past the other players and then leaped towards the basket.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Kise!"

Aomine was on his tail, charging over to prevent the shot. But Momoi knew what was going to happen because she's seen it before... She shouted for the tanned miracle to stop; however, he didn't listen.

The referee's whistle blew when Aomine's side made contact with Kise's back. Rather than shooting the ball overhanded, the blonde twisted his arm behind his back exactly like how he's seen the move done during the Seirin-Touou game.

The ball went into the net without even touching the rim.

A cheer erupted from the crowd.

Having been shocked for a second, the referee gained back his focused and called for a foul. "Defense, black No. 5! Basket counts, one free throw!"

_Damn it..._ The Touou coach gritted his teeth. That was Aomine's fourth foul... He can't afford to make anymore bold plays because the team can't afford to play without their ace!

_They got us..._ Imayoshi thought with worry. Honestly, the pressure was starting to get to him. "And you said I act terrible... You guys are worse than me," he grinned at the passing Kasamatsu. The other captain gave him a smirk back.

"Heh. I never said we weren't now, did I?"

Imayoshi faked a laugh and looked at the two Generation of Miracles. _This is really hard... Not only has he perfected his copy, but our ace's power has been significantly reduced._

While Aomine glared at Kise from his position, thinking in his head how the blonde actually managed to get that move past him, he knew inside that he was the one who was getting too cocky. The fouls were his mistake...

Stormy navy eyes widened again when Kise shook his head slightly at him before going for the free throw. _He did not just—!_

When the basket went in, there was only a nine-point difference between Kaijo and Touou. The crowd went wild!

_We can't afford that nine-point difference,_ Imayoshi handled the ball close to his body so the Kaijo players couldn't steal it. He turned left and passed the ball to Aomine, thinking that the miracle was playing attention. But Aomine looked like he was in a trance. "Aomine!" Imayoshi shouted in warning.

Immediately, Aomine broke out of it but it was too late. Kise was already in front of him and stole the ball from right under his nose.

_Shit!_ he growled and ran behind the speedy blonde.

"Kaijo's countering!" someone from the bleachers shouted.

Sakurai jumped in front of Kise to stop the miracle, but he couldn't keep up with the irregular moves. It was too much like Aomine's... _H-How is that possible? Not only are his moves the same, but he's just as fast as Aomine-san!_

"Slam it, Kise!" Kasamatsu encouraged from behind.

_I'll admit the four fouls were my own fault... But is this what Kise was hoping for?_ Aomine thought as he ran to catch up. Time seemed to have slowed down as his feet pushed down on the floor with force. They had never battled like this, and he felt that replicating his style. was never Kise's true desire._ Even if he thinks of it as a winning strategy for his team, this can't be what he hoped for. But I never thought he'd make that face at me. How disgusting... Satsuki and the rest too... Heh, what's with all the worried faces?_

Around him, his opponents all had the same expression. They seemed to be watching the copy-cat with much astound. And the audience, his own team... It was as if they all lost faith in _him_... He could have sworn he saw the anxious looks on Kuroko's and Tomoko's faces as well.

_Where are the cheers? Don't think that's all it takes to defeat me! _He jumped right after Kise, following up as the blonde tried to make the basket. Gasps could be heard throughout the arena as the aerial battle ended with the ball being slapped away by Aomine.

It was done with so much force and power that the ball went soaring towards a section in the bleachers, hitting a man on the arm in the process. If the man hadn't shield himself in time, he would have had a bleeding face!

"That was incredible!"

"What strength!"

Now on the ground, Kise looked up to see Aomine glaring menacingly at him.

"They all underestimated me, thinking that I'd back down because of my four fouls... Heh, but out of all of them... You're the one who bothers me the most, Kise," the navy haired miracle said. The scowl on his ace deepened as Kise's look of pity flashed into his mind again. He was done with the others' preposterous thinking that he, the _ace_ of the Miracles, will somehow lose to a copy-cat, and he was especially sick of seeing that _all_ eyes, including a certain pair of bright salmon ones, was solely on the blonde. "If you have time to show concern for me, then use that time to prove your strength instead because what you have now ain't anything worthy of _my_ time."

It was obvious that those words were meant to break him down, yet Kise had an undefeated look in his eyes. _I__ want to win... For my team... For..._

The tell-tale buzz signaled for the end of the third quarter and the players on the court started to head towards their coaches for a brief meeting. The blonde stood up as well, but not before Aomine spoke up again with the intent to rile him up further. Orbs like the dark sea met with the burning sun.

"You're dead wrong if you think I'll let you win... At this game or_ anything else._"

* * *

While the teams were getting ready for the final quarter, the audiences were whispering among themselves and speculating how the match will end. Kaijo was slowly gaining their points back, and Touou now faced a pressing dilemma within their own team.

"They can't pull Aomine out when Kise already perfected his copy," Izuki furrowed his eyebrows in thought, "but another foul and Aomine will be thrown off the court."

Hyuuga leaned forward and rested his chin on top of his intertwined fingers, "Touou's coach will want Aomine to stay in. He'll have to switch up the formation or something... Aomine can't afford to make a wrong move."

The point guard's sharp eyes landed on the tanned miracle who was sitting calmly on the bench and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. "Damn, the pressure of being kicked off the court should be nerve-racking... Yet that guy makes it look like it's nothing."

Behind them, Tomoko was in a world of her own as she stared almost motionlessly at the two resting teams down below. Kagami noticed her silence and grew worried.

"Okuma..." he called for the girl.

She blinked out of her daze and turned to him with a confused look. He frowned.

"It isn't like you to be so quiet."

There was pause in her voice before she finally spoke up. "I was just thinking about something..."

"What is it?" Kagami asked. He watched as Tomoko fidgeted with her fingers before pouting at him.

"When you injured your leg, it was because you pushed yourself further than your legs could handle, right?" she asked. "Your body wasn't physically ready for it."

"Yeah, you could say that..." Kagami said slowly, curious as to what the manager was trying to get at. Hearing his response, the girl sighed as her salmon eyes traveled back to the blonde. The third quarter had not been easy on him; he was panting hard and he looked extremely exhausted.

"But why are you bringing this up?"

"It's what's worrying me," she told him with concern, her hands gripping on the bottled drink on her lap tightly. "Whether it's the Generation of Miracles or you and Tetsuya-kun, you guys all have the habit of pushing yourselves way beyond the limit."

Riko, catching on to the two's short conversation, couldn't help but agree to what the manager was implying. She has seen the way these kids played and she knew how much it could potentially hurt them. _If they were not careful out there..._

"Kise-kun could make a perfect copy of Aomine-kun's style in just a short period of time, and while that's impressive..." the frown on Tomoko's face deepened. "Can his body really keep up with that?"

Their usually cheerful manager's serious revelation made Kagami and the rest fall silent. Her words spoke the truth about the pitfalls of prodigies in strenuous sports at such ages where their bodies were still not fully developed yet.

_Because they're playing like professionals that are in their twenties and thirties, it is impossible for the growing bodies of these younger players to become accustomed to the stress long-term, and... _Riko thought while glancing worriedly at Teppei. He caught her looking and simply smiled.

_It can cause serious and even permanent damage._

* * *

"Let the fourth quarter begin."

Immediately, Kise and Aomine were at it at the court. It was like two identical forces of nature going against each other, neither side showing any weakness. Aomine was in possession of the ball and he was dodging back and forth, tripping Kise up with his fast movements, but Kise was not letting up either.

Their battle on the ground was more like synchronized dance moves to the people watching. It was incredible!

Aomine scowled as he pulled away for a chance to shoot. With his opponent being so relentless, Aomine was undeniably annoyed and it showed on his face. It was intimidating even for the blonde in his concentrated state.

Leaning back, he tossed the ball high up in the air as his body started to fall backwards. The ball went it with a loud crash and the crowd cheered in amazement. They've seen his formless shot numerous times now, but it was still a surprise as each time it seemed to be performed with a higher level of skill. Aomine's body was nearly parallel to the ground!

_Not only has he not changed with four fouls, but he's playing with more amazing force,_ Kasamatsu gritted his teeth in frustration. The quarter just started and Touou already scored. _What incredible focus._

_He really is a monster... The ace of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki... _Coach Takeuchi watched pensively from the sidelines. His eyes narrowed at Kaijo's own ace and hope flashed across his beady orbs. _However, we have Kise Ryouta... Our formidable copy-cat._

It was Kise's turn to handle the ball, and exceeding everyone's expectations, he was already able to copy that exact move from Aomine and made the same shot just seconds later.

It was a relentless cycle of monkey see, monkey do. Whatever Aomine threw at him, Kise returned the favor with the same amount of force. Their moves were so identical, it was scary.

"They're exactly the same!"

"Neither one's backing down!"

With less than two minutes left to the match, the score was 96 to 106. Kaijo was so close, but they needed to push even further to break the balance and catch up to Touou. The players on both teams were tired, but they were not nearly as exhausted as Kise and Aomine. The two Generation of Miracles had been at each other's throats without stopping for eight minutes straight.

Kise was running from Aomine as he mimicked the tanned miracle's most recent move, and while twisting his body over to get a better aim at the hoop, he suddenly felt a jolt down his leg.

He faltered for barely second before releasing the ball.

The others may not be able to tell, but the way the ball spun around the rim instead of going in perfectly said a lot to a certain caramel haired girl on the stands.

_Kise-kun..._

"That must be tough," Riko muttered with her trained eyes paying close attention to each player's worked up bodies. She had also noticed the slight change in demeanor of the blonde for that split second. "I've never seen such static flow in a game before. The inside players must be really worn down mentally."

"It's especially tough on Kaijo," Hyuuga added, glancing at the scoreboard. The score was 98 to 106 still in Touou's favor. "They've been stuck eight points to ten points behind since the start."

"It looks brutally exhausting," Tomoko had a permanent worried expression etched on her face. "Though they are using the same exact moves, it's taking a harder toll on Kise-kun's body."

On the court, the blonde was breathing heavily as he waited for the next move. He got his chance when Sakurai's split inattention caused him to miss a pass and Kise dashed over for a steal.

"The balance is broken!" Riko exclaimed as the miracle made a run for the basket. "This is Kaijo's chance!"

The clock was ticking down second by second. "One minute left. This is where the game will be decided," Teppei said, "If they make this shot, they'll only be two threes behind and it'll boost the team's morale. If they miss, they'll have reached their limit. So practically speaking..."

"This is Kaijo's _last_ chance," Tomoko finished for the second-year. Her eyes went wide as Aomine blocked Kise's path and the two engaged in an intense stare-down. Both of them were trying to guess each other's next moves.

Will Kise move to the left or right? If it was Aomine, he knew he would fake left and crossover to the right, but he and Kise both took into the account of each other trying to do the opposite to outsmart one another as well...

The last move really came down to a battle of the wits because the two were thinking so much alike that it was too hard to read off of what they _think_ the other person would do...

Aomine suddenly smirked when Kise made a move to jump. He followed right after, and the rest of the court was at a standstill as they tried to figure out what the blonde was planning before they recognized the move. He was going for a formless shot!

But Aomine was coming up so close that it looked like he would stop the blonde in time...

Until Kise suddenly maneuvered his arm back towards where Kasamatsu was standing wait for the ball.

"He's going for a pass?!"

Imayoshi and his team could only watch and hope that something would happen that will stop the blonde, but it seemed fruitless at this point. They hadn't even realized that passing to Kasamatsu was an option, so they won't be fast enough to reach the unguarded Kaijo captain or be able to intercept the ball...

But to Imayoshi and everyone else's surprise, that 'something' _did_ happen.

Aomine had somehow saw through the move and before the ball even left Kise's hand, he had already slapped it away with a resounding _smack_.

* * *

"He—He stopped it?!" Koganei's mouth was wide with shock. In fact, the entire court that saw it happen had similar looks on their faces. No normal human being could have reacted fast enough to stop that pass! "It's like he has superpowers!"

"Aomine-kun saw through Kise-kun's intentions before it was carried out."

Everyone turned towards the blue haired phantom. He had been silent the entire time and his sudden comment shocked the team even more.

"It was done in a split second," Kuroko replied evenly, though he too was feeling rattled by what Aomine could do as well. "But Aomine-kun saw it. He saw Kise-kun's mistake."

"Mistake?" they echoed.

* * *

Down below, Kise had a look of devastation across his face. That was his last shot at bringing Kaijo to victory, and he was sure it would work... Even Momoi and Touou's coach didn't see that coming, so how did Aomine...?

"You've done pretty well up until now, but in the very end, you finally made a mistake," Aomine answered his silent question. "If it had been a one-on-one, you may have had a chance to win. You did a fake by looking one way, but then..."

* * *

"He looked at Kasamatsu-san to his right," Kuroko explained. "Aomine-kun knew that he himself wouldn't fake with his eyes in that position."

Hyuuga and the rest looked down at the tanned miracle with wide eyes and similar thoughts about how perturbing the scope of his abilities were. It just goes to show that the miracle was that much more dangerous and how well he could play even without the help of his team.

The connection was simply _not_ there, and the scariest realization was...

_All of this is only further proving to him that he doesn't need a team to win,_ Tomoko balled her fists as her worried eyes followed the tanned miracle.

* * *

Aomine scoffed at Kise's incredulous gaze as he continued his explanation. "At first glance, a pass seems like the most surprising move, but it's also something I would never do, and thus it becomes the most easily predicted move," he said. As the two teams got back into formation for the last few seconds of the game, Aomine walked past Kise with the final blow.

"My style of basketball isn't designed to rely on my teammates."

Kise stood alone in the middle of the court with different thoughts running through his mind at his and Aomine's last exchange. But most importantly...

_I missed my only chance... This game is—_

"What is there to think about? Get ready for the next play!" A fist made contact with the back of Kise's head, waking him up. "This game isn't over yet!"

He stared at Kasamatsu and the rest of his team. They were smiling and smirking determinedly. Even after his mess up... They still haven't given up on the game yet—still haven't given up on _him _yet. He was speechless for a second before regaining his will.

_Kasamatsu-senpai is right. There's nothing to think about..._ The game continued as Imayoshi scored another point. Kise followed behind his mark and along with his team, continued to play with exceptional force before the last seconds were up.

_Because no matter what..._

Kise watched as Aomine slapped the ball away from Moriyama as he tried to make a basket, and then the cycle continued. Something else that Aomine said to him earlier echoed in his mind.

_"I win, Kise. Because you tried to do something out of character, this game came to a disappointing end. Ultimately, you lost because you were weak and relied on your teammates at the end."_

A resigned smile lifted the corners of his lips as he followed behind Aomine. _I couldn't have made it this far by myself, _he jumped up just when the tanned miracle made a move to dunk and pushed the ball back with all his might. Aomine looked surprised before he glared at him, pushing forward with just as much force.

"I don't mind if we lose anymore," Kise answered him, "but I can't be the only one to give up! If there's any reason I lost, it's simply because _I_ wasn't strong enough yet!"

Aomine scoffed and a smirk appeared on his face. He pushed harder. "Don't state the obvious."

The ball slipped from Kise's hand and slammed into the basket. The buzzer sounded as they both fell along with the ball. The ball, like Kise, dropped to the floor with one last defeated bounce.

The final score was 98 to 110. Touou wins.

It was inevitable. As hard as they tried, Kaijo still couldn't win against a powerhouse that had Aomine Daiki as the ace.

"Game over! Both teams, line up!" the referee ordered.

Defeated, Kise tried to stand so he could line up with his team... But to everyone's horror, his legs gave out. He _couldn't_ get up. Kise slammed a fist on the ground. He was so disappointed in himself... Everyone was probably laughing at his current state.

_He's feeling it in his legs,_ Moriyama thought with worry. _Did copying the Generation of Miracles' ace put that much strain to his legs?_

Aomine also noticed his former teammate's struggle had thought about going to help, but a cry from the otherwise silent and shocked audience section made him pause and look back.

"Kise-kun, you can do it! I believe in you!"

He knew the voice belonged to Okuma Tomoko. She was standing up from her seat and cheering the blonde on, shouting for him in encouragement. In her eyes, the blonde's lost didn't deter her the least bit. It pissed Aomine off as a teary smile surfaced on Kise's face at her words.

_This is pointless, _Aomine chose to walk away from the blonde.

As Kise managed to lift his body up by a little, Kasamatsu was the one who came over and helped him stand.

"Can you hang in there a little longer?" he asked.

Kise tried to blink back his tears. He knew how much this game had meant to his senior... He didn't feel regret because _he_ lost, but because he couldn't lead Kaijo to victory and fulfill his seniors' wishes.

"Senpai... I..."

The captain smiled and ruffled the blonde's hair supportively despite the turmoil of emotions twisting within his own mind.

"You did well," he said. _It's not over yet..._ "Pay him back this winter."

* * *

As the Kaijo captain and their ace had their heartfelt moment, Imayoshi walked up to the navy haired player with a questioning look.

"He's your former teammate, isn't he? Are you really not going to say anything to him?"

"I'll be even more pissed if you continue to make fun of me," Aomine scoffed and closed his eyes tiredly. "There's nothing for a winner to say to a loser."

_Yet,_ Imayoshi watched the male carefully, _why did that expression on your face earlier look like you've lost something?_

* * *

Most of the crowd in their section had gotten up and left after the game while Seirin stayed behind just a little bit longer. There was only one thing running through their minds at the moment.

The display they saw during the game—it was like a second-head experience of how far the Generation of Miracles can go to claim victory... And they'll be playing against all of those guys this winter.

Of course there was doubt if they would be able to beat people like them, but they must not be deterred.

_We'll win,_ was Hyuuga final thought. He believed in his team.

_But we'll have to become stronger,_ Teppei confirmed inside his head. At the team's long silence, Riko stood.

"We can't keep brooding forever! Let's go home and start practicing right away!"

Kagami blinked, "Eh? Aren't there more guys from the Generation of Miracles playing at this tournament?"

"It's not like I don't wish to watch until the end!" she declared.

"Then let's stay! We'll get a hotel!" the redhead offered excitedly. He wanted to see who the other miracles were, and what they were capable of! But at his suggestion, Hyuuga shot up with a threatening chuckle.

"A hotel, huh? Say, Kagami..." he marched towards the redhead and started to stretch his face angrily. "Where do you have the money for that? Ah, you did say you lived by yourself... Are you rich? Huh? Besides, if we stayed, are you going to take full responsibility for the safety of our lives? Coach's dad will kill us if this trip was extended any longer! And what if Okuma's dad finally flipped on us, too? Are you ready for that?!"

"We'll go home!" the others squeaked in horror and packed up their bags. Kagami couldn't agree more and did the same after the captain released him. Next to Kuroko, Tomoko could only blink incredulously at how frantic the guys acted at the mention of hers and Riko's dad.

"You guys know my dad isn't scary..." she commented with confusion. Besides, her dad wouldn't mind. "Riko-san's dad was really nice to me and didn't seem mean either!"

_You have no idea, Okuma-chan!_ the guys yelled in their heads.

After they all cleaned up, the team set out to leave the Interhigh building. Right now, they had their minds set on going home and rest up for a few days before more practice and the second training camp will begin.

It wasn't going to be long before winter approaches.

Walking down the halls of the building towards the exit, Tomoko saw that Touou was just ahead of them, but Aomine wasn't there in the crowd. Her mind then traveled to team Kaijo and a certain blonde miracle. Anyone with eyes could tell that the lost was extremely hard on them, especially since they had so many seniors on the team and it was their last Interhigh game. Kise probably blamed himself for the lost.

_Is he going to be okay?_

"I believe Kise-kun will be alright," Kuroko seemed to have read her thoughts and answered her. "He may be sad now, but I know he will work harder with his team this summer for the Winter Cup."

Tomoko smiled after a minute and nodded. "You're right! I'll just leave him a text," she said, digging into her bag to find the device. She hoped that lending some support to the blonde will allow him to cheer up faster because she knew his seniors will need his support as well.

"Arf!"

Number 2's head peeked out from the gym bag Kuroko was holding and the boy shifted the bag a little so the puppy could have a better view without jumping out.

"I think it's safe to let him out now," Riko remarked, and Kuroko gave her a complying nod. He set his gym bag down to let the puppy out.

While the two were busy with their own tasks, Kagami trailed behind them and saw a giant with a bag full of snacks walk past. He was surprised at the sheer height of the guy—and he was wearing a basketball jersey, meaning that he was also a player.

_...He must be a least two meters tall!_

The guy seemed to be mumbling to himself, and Kagami swore he heard something like 'I don't want to play basketball anyway'... But the giant quickly turned around the corner and was out of earshot.

"Hm?" Tomoko looked up briefly. She thought she heard someone familiar, but upon seeing no one she knew among the large crowd, she went back to typing her message.

Kuroko on the other hand, recognized the familiar head of purple just before the person disappeared. _Murasakibara-kun..._

* * *

_"__No matter who he's up against, Aomine doesn't lose. He's the best.__"_

_-Imayoshi Shoichi_

* * *

**How was that for you KiMoko and AoMoko shippers? *grins* Please remember to vote (message on top of page)!**


	21. The Good, the Bad, and the Tsundere

Thank you guys for the votes! I've made my decision based off how I felt about the two as well as majority rules - so, brother-sister bond it is! They're just _too_ cute to not be siblings asdfghjkl; Annnnnyway, I'm posting this on the day of my high school graduation (today!) so please enjoy this chapter and talk to me while I'm stuck at the ceremony for 3 hours tonight... ^_^"

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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The days following the end of the Interhigh games was filled with a sort of peace for everyone who have participated. The results were as follows: Yosen High took third, Touou Academy took second, and Rakuzan High, the reigning king of the Winter Cup tournaments for five years straight, won Interhigh and placed first.

Although summer vacation had already started, for some, these few weeks was finally their time to enjoy themselves before the new semester started. However, the upcoming Winter Cup was on every basketball player's mind... It was going to be a hard and cold battle between the top teams in Japan. Whether it was those in Kaijo, Shutoku, Touou; each team had their own plan in training. And for those on the Seirin basketball team, a certain coach has been working them long and hard as well, and their second training camp was only a few days away.

However, all of the teams, like Seirin, get to enjoy a few days to a week basketball-free so they can rest up and are encouraged to finish their dreaded summer assignments in peace.

Some were frantically getting their homework done before the summer ended, while others...

"Mura-kun! How come you didn't tell me you're one of the Generation of Miracles?" Tomoko whined into the phone; she was strategically avoiding to do her math assignment today and decided to call her purple haired friend. There was the distinct crunching of chips on the other end.

"Hm? I didn't?"

"No," she puffed up her cheeks and frowned. "When I asked if you played any sports, you only said 'I don't like it' and stuffed your face with apple pie."

"But it was really good pie~" Murasakibara munched some more. "Don't be mad, Tomo-chin. I promise I'll tell you next time."

She could practically hear the purple haired giant's childish pout from the other side of the line. It wasn't that she was mad at him in any way; she was just a little surprised when she heard about it.

After Interhigh, each day was filled with more morning training from the Aidas at their family gym, and it was then Tomoko heard Kuroko talk about the last two miracles they will finally meet during the Winter Cup. When Murasakibara's name came up, Tomoko was at first convinced that it was someone else the boy was talking about, but the description of the miracle made it no mistake that it was _the_ Murasakibara she met in Akita.

Letting out a small sigh, Tomoko reassured the giant that it was okay. "I know now, and I'm not mad at you, Mura-kun. Anyway, how was the semi-final? I know Touou beat Yosen and all, but—"

"I sat out for the game~ So I don't know."

She blinked, "Huh? Why?"

There was a pause, and the ripping of something cardboard could be heard before Murasakibara spoke again. "Who knows? Aka-chin told me not to play. It's okay though, because I'd rather eat more snacks."

"'Aka-chin'?" Tomoko wondered, twirling the noraemon charm on her phone.

"Hm~Mmm~ That's our captain from Teiko."

_Tetsuya-kun mentioned someone named 'Akashi Seijuuro' before... That must be him..._

"Ah, Tomo-chin," Murasakibara called shortly after, bringing her attention back to their conversation. "Come visit me."

She paused and thought for a second. Since it was summer break, her brother had recently came over to Tokyo for a longer visit, and she didn't have anyone at Akita to house her if she _did_ travel over there. "I want to, Mura-kun, but Ichi-nii's here so I wouldn't be able to stay at Akita by myself. Plus I have manager duties for my team; we're going on our second training camp soon!"

"..."

She laughed as she heard a whine from Murasakibara. His size may give people the wrong impression of him, but he was actually like a little kid.

"We'll meet at the Winter Cup," she encouraged, though he didn't sound too enthusiastic about the games. "I promise I'll visit you more often then!"

"Hmmm... Can I come see you instead?"

Tomoko blinked at his question for a moment before registering it. "Are you coming to Tokyo?" she asked. There was some commotion in the background of Murasakibara's end before he answered.

"I have to go now, Tomo-chin. Make more yummy snacks for me soon, okay~?"

"E-Eh, Mura-kun...?" she tried calling him, but the giant already hung up without actually answering her question. _Ah..._

Sighing, she set her phone down and stared down at the paper before her. It was just her and the half-done math problems again. _It'll probably be finished later on tonight... _she thought, standing up from her desk. Looking outside, she could see that it was a really nice day.

_I think I'll go out for a bit!_

Yup, she was ignoring her "problems" in true Tomoko-fashion once again.

* * *

"How long are you going to stay like this, Aomine-kun?" Momoi has been trying to get her childhood friend to stop brooding around since the end of Interhigh. He was still pissed about not being able to play the final matches.

The miracle didn't know it yet, but it was Momoi who asked their coach to pull him out of the semifinals and finals game. Ever since the Kaijo match, Aomine had been extremely on edge and she was worried that he would get reckless if he faced the other miracles.

"You should still come to practice once in a while..." she sighed when the tanned miracle ignored her. They were walking down the busy streets of Tokyo, and Aomine had no intention of returning to Touou's practice today.

"Satsuki." She perked up when he finally said something to her. "Stop following me."

Momoi's smile deflated, "I'm just worried about you, geez!"

"Theres nothing to worry about. Leave me alone."

What happened the friendly guy she grew up with? Aomine Daiki wasn't like this before. He was spirited, and his basketball style reflected that. All these winnings the past years really changed him...

She wanted that spirited part of him to come back, but for now, it seemed hopeless... She can only reminiscent about the first years of Teiko when everyone got along. Momoi shook her head and sighed again. "I'll stop pestering you about going to practice for now," she said. "But come on, you need to stop being so pissed. Want to get a _Momo Jiro Kun_?"

Aomine glanced back at his childhood friend. She was annoying at times and acted like a mom, but as long as she's not pestering him about basketball-related stuff, he could deal with that.

"Fine," he said, and Momoi cheered. "But you're paying."

* * *

_I'm bored..._

When Tomoko left the house with the intention of stretching her limbs, she didn't really have anything particular in mind. Kuroko and Kagami were both busy, so they were out of her options.

It was pretty late in the morning, being almost noon, and she was just idly walking down the busy streets. She passed by a few stores and an arcade that had a newly installed basketball shooting game that came with prizes before a small convenient store came into view at the corner of the street.

_It's a nice day to have something cold to eat,_ she thought. It was hot and the sun was beating down on her, after all. Deciding that she was going to buy a popsicle from the convenient store, she turned the corner to walk in, but she bumped into someone on accident.

"It's you."

"Hm?" she blinked and looked up at the talking male. Her salmon eyes lit up, "Midorima-kun!"

The green haired miracle nodded curtly at her greeting. He was wearing casual clothing, and it didn't look like he was heading for practice or anything, so he must have an off day as well. Tomoko then noticed that there was something missing on his person.

"Are you heading out to buy your lucky item?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"I am," he said.

He could probably have blamed it on the fact that he didn't have his lucky item on him today... Because if it was before, Midorima would have been convinced that he was unlucky to see the caramel haired manager outside of games since their signs were incompatible, but now, he found it odd that he didn't mind the grinning girl's presence anymore.

"What is it today?"

"A Russian doll."

Midorima frowned slightly when he thought about today's lucky item. Oha-Asa had predicted his luck today to be fair, and the lucky item for Cancers was a Russian doll... Yet, the stores he regularly bought his items from were all out of stock.

_As expected to not have the greatest luck today. _

"Are you talking about those things that look like Daruma dolls?" Tomoko wondered. She remembered seeing one today... "Ah! I know a place that has one."

"Tell me," the miracle took a step towards her urgently. "Where is it?" She only grinned and gave him a sly look; Midorima immediately concluded that he was going to be dragged into doing something troublesome.

"Heh heh... I'll tell you if you'll hang out with me!"

Midorima stared at her incredulously, wondering just what she was up to. What was it that Oha-Asa said about his luck today?

_"Although it is not one of the best days for Cancers, you should try to get along with everyone today. Luck will blossom from it!"_

"What is it you want to do, then?" he sighed, and Tomoko pulled him into the convenient store.

"It's hot outside, so let's go get a popsicle," she said with a bright smile. "Then we can go to the arcade!"

_Arcade?_ If Midorima were to be honest, he disliked overwhelming groups of noisy teenagers laughing and shouting about as well as cramped spaces... And an arcade was everything he hated. However, he can't do without his lucky item either...

"Why do you want to go to the arcade?" he asked as the girl grabbed two melon-flavored _Momo Jiro Kun _popsicles and skipped to the check out line. "The popsicle will only melt faster in such a hot room."

Tomoko only hummed and left the green haired miracle in frustration. "You'll see~"

Inside the store, there was two other familiar faces roaming about. They went unnoticed by Tomoko and Midorima who were near the front, but the same couldn't be said for the two of them.

"Isn't that Okuma-san and... Midorin?" Momoi blinked in surprise. She and Aomine had just entered the store not long ago to buy some popsicles, and it looked like the Seirin manager and the green haired miracle were doing the same.

She just never took Tomoko as someone the usually aloof shooter would hang out with...

"Ha?" Aomine wasn't paying attention.

"Do you see them?" Momoi whispered excitedly as she pulled her friend out of sight. She peeked around the corner with interest, "What do you think Midorin is doing with Tetsu-kun's team manager?"

When Aomine finally saw what she was referring to, a deep frown embedded into his expression and he turned away.

"Who cares."

"Mou," Momoi pouted. "Aren't you interested? Midorin doesn't usually hang out with people!"

_He doesn't..._ the tanned miracle thought with a burning glare. _So what are you doing, Midorima? _

"Just get your popsicle and let's go, Satsuki," he grumbled as he watched the two walk out of the store. Momoi noticed his change in demeanor...

Aomine was ticked off again.

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_twenty-one_

**the good, the bad, and the tsundere**

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The arcade was chaotic in Midorima's eyes. How do people stand such a crowded and noisy place, he will never know.

"Your popsicle's going to melt if you don't eat it, Midorima-kun!"

He frowned and looked at the caramel haired girl besides him. She was happily chomping down on the cool treat as she led him further into the arcade. Wasn't he the one who told her that the place was too hot to stay and eat a popsicle in the first place?

Some kids were running around the large arcade and shouting at each other, and Midorima raised a delicate brow with distaste. "I do not see the point in this," he told her, making sure that the melon-flavored liquid will not drip on his hand. At his slight inattention, one of the kids pushed the other and he came ramming into the miracle.

His half-eaten popsicle fell onto the ground with a _splat_.

"Hah hah oops—" the smaller kid started to apologize, but the murderous look that he got from the miracle was all it took for him to fall to the ground, terrified and on the verge of crying.

"You..." Midorima started to say with a glare.

"Lucky!" Tomoko cheered as she looked at the wooden stick of her finished treat. She won a second one! "Look, Midorima-kun—eh?" When she saw the scene before her, she quickly understood what happened and pulled the miracle away before the kid peed his pants. The kid took no time at all to run away after that.

Tomoko then picked up the fallen treat and threw it into the garbage can. "You can have mine," she smiled, "I won a second one!"

Midorima, now calmer because the kid wasn't in his view anymore, blinked at the winning stick. _She has Kuroko's luck... _he sighed.

"Keep it. I do not want it... However, I do want to leave this place at once."

"Huh? But I wanted to show you this!" she pouted, pointing at the new basketball game machine. It was just recently installed, and there was a line of little kids and teenagers alike trying to play the 300-yen game to set a high score of the most baskets made in a row.

"How stupid," Midorima replied stiffly. "That game is for amateurs."

"Midorima-kun may not have a problem playing this, but it's the prize I wanted to show you," Tomoko directed the male's eyes to the prizes hanging on the back wall where a guy was selling snacks and drinks. "They have a Russian doll as one of the prizes!"

That immediately got the miracle's attention, and she blinked when he speedily walked up to the stand and set down some money for the guy behind it. "I will like to buy that Russian doll," he said matter-of-factly.

The middle aged guy peered up from his newspaper and regarded Midorima with a weird look. "These prizes aren't for sale."

"Nonsense," Midorima pressed on persistently. "I have money."

"Sorry kid, rules say I can't sell em' so you gotta win em'."

That seemed to shock the miracle immensely. Did he actually have to wait in line and play that pointless game to get his lucky item? _As expected to not have the greatest luck today, _he thought for the second time.

"Look at that!" Tomoko cried with joy, unaware of Midorima's internal dilemma. She was pointing at the medium sized stuffed animals in the corner. One of them was a blue eyed husky. "It looks just like Number 2!"

_Number 2? _Midorima wondered.

"Thirty points to win the doll and fifty to win the husky," the older man replied offhandedly.

"We _have_ to play now, Midorima-kun!" Tomoko pulled the stricken miracle towards the back of the line. She rubbed her hands together, "I'm going to get that husky for sure!"

Wasn't she here to get him _his_ item? Suddenly it has turned into something for her own enjoyment too. Midorima looked at the girl; they were in line and he was standing a little behind her, so it wasn't too noticeable that he was staring.

The way her salmon eyes lit up whenever she was determined or happy was undeniably... Attractive. She was also very eccentric in a way, but he surprisingly realized that he didn't mind that fact. Her abrupt appearance in his and the other miracles' lives wasn't all that bad, and although he wasn't sure about Aomine's feelings, he knew that Kuroko and Kise were fond of the girl. Midorima wasn't dumb; he could see that she had the ability of drawing people in... It probably won't be long until the remainder of his Teiko teammates start to feel her pull.

But really, Murasakibara will get along with anyone as long as they gave him the time of day and tolerated his childish ways. It was Akashi that was a different matter. _He_ was someone who demanded absolute control over everything and everyone. Her energy and his power may—no, _will_—clash, and Midorima wasn't sure if it will end well.

As he pondered over the personalities of his former teammates, the line shortened quickly and brought him back to reality. He watched the people in front of him play; it was a simple game where one missed shot was game over. He almost laughed at the current high score that flashed on the screen of the machine.

_'61 POINTS.'_

He could make that many in his _sleep_. But anyway, he only needed 30 to win that Russian doll.

"The guy who set the high score is pretty good," Tomoko commented with pursed lips. "_He_ got a husky."

"Hn," was Midorima's uninterested reply.

Soon, it was finally Tomoko's turn. She inserted three 100-yen coins into the machine and the game started. Three balls rolled down to the slot and she grabbed one to get ready to shoot. Midorima noticed that her hand was angled weird.

"Your posture is wrong," he told her. Tomoko only grinned sheepishly.

"I don't really know how to properly shoot a ball, actually!"

_And she is expecting to win that husky toy?_ Midorima rolled his eyes.

She blinked when he came up behind her and positioned her elbow and wrist correctly towards the basket.

"Your stance and balance have to be even. Make sure your feet are shoulder width apart. You should have both hands on the ball, one slightly under and one to the side," he taught her; his breath was fanning right next to her ear and it caused her cheeks to heat up. "Now, eyes on the net and shoot."

Tomoko let go of the ball with a small shake, and to her amazement, it went it. "I did it, Midorima-kun!" she cheered happy, looking at him with a cute, rosy smile. Midorima seemed to just realize what he did and looked away with embarrassment. He coughed.

"It is nothing. Continue to do what I said."

She nodded and gazed determinedly at the basket. Reciting exactly what she did earlier, she made the second shot. It was looking good for her and she continued to make slow and steady points until the machine beeped once she missed.

"Aw... I only made six points," she pouted. Midorima nodded with a small, knowing smirk.

"As expected for a beginner."

She sighed in defeat, "Oh well~ I guess it's your turn now, Midorima-kun."

As the miracle was about to insert his coins, someone behind him started to complain. "Oi, no double turns! You gotta get to the back of the line if you wanna play again."

"He hasn't gone yet though," Tomoko blinked in confusion. The person that voiced out the complaint was a black haired teen and maybe a little older than her and Midorima. "I don't remember you being behind us either..."

"I saw him take that shot with you. Couples playing together counts as a turn for both," he replied and pointed to himself with arrogance. "Besides, there's no line for me! Everyone knows to let the pro through... You were taking a damn long time to make only six points anyway."

Tomoko frowned. "That's rude! It's not like you own the arcade."

"Whatever! I suggest you get to the back of the line with four-eyes. I'm here to set a new score," he smirked, pushing her aside carelessly—if Tomoko hadn't held on to a nearby machine, she would have fallen. A hand gripped onto the guy's shoulder with force, and he turned around to see a pissed off Midorima. "What the hell? Get your hand off of me!"

_What a nuisance._ Midorima knew that he was not going to like him as soon as he had heard this male speak. The miracle was already pretty annoyed about having to endure getting bumped into by little kids and staying in the presence of other noisy and irritating teenagers... Now this guy comes in and insults him? _Furthermore..._ He narrowed his eyes at the male for daring to even _touch_ Tomoko.

"You lack proper etiquette. Have your parents not taught you to never lay a hand on a girl?" Midorima regarded the older male coolly, his emerald eyes showing contempt.

The guy let out a mocking laughed. "Ha?! I don't need to hear that from a loser like you, four-eyes!"

"Loser, you say?" a dark chuckle left Midorima's throat and he pushed up his glasses, "I will show you how wrong that statement is, fool."

The guy looked both amused and pissed off, having being looked down by someone who was younger than him. He then smirked, "How about this... I'll let you go ahead of me. If you can beat my score, I will do one thing you want me to do. But if you can't, then I want you to _crawl_ out of this arcade."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Tomoko warned the guy and his smirk widened. "For you, I mean," she added with a raised brow.

"You're lucky you're cute and I'm letting you off, so don't get in the way... Ha, unless you're sticking up for him because he can't take the challenge?"

Tomoko opened her mouth to say something back, but she felt that it was pointless anyway. She patted the green haired miracle on the back softly and smiled, "He's all yours, Midorima-kun. Don't lose to him~"

"It goes without saying that I will beat whatever score he has somehow achieved," Midorima gave her a small smirk. The black haired guy snorted.

"Don't get too cocky, four-eyes. You can only dream of scoring 61 points in your sleep!"

A glint flashed within Midorima's eyes and he walked up to the machine and inserted his 300 yen. As the machine started up and three balls rolled down, he looked back at the annoying male briefly.

"Come. I will show you the true meaning of 'Man proposes, God disposes'."

Tomoko watched carefully as Midorima started to play. Even though the machine was different from the basketball hoops on a court, he was still flawlessly making each shot. The orange ball continued to fall into the net perfectly centered.

Around them, a crowd had started to form. The onlookers knew the blacked haired guy, Kitano Manabu, seeing that he frequented the arcade and was the one who set the high score on the machine, but they were also looking at the green haired miracle with interest and awe as the points started to accumulate.

20... 21... 22...

35... 36...

Kitano was actually starting to look a little nervous.

"As impressive as your score is, Midorima-kun _really_ can make that in his sleep, you know," Tomoko told the guy sympathetically.

"Don't be shittin' me," he spat in defense, "No one will be able to beat my score! I'm about to make it 70 today!"

55... 56... 57...

"H-He'll miss soon!" he stuttered slightly. Midorima looked back at him again at his comment while he threw in his next ball. Cold sweat was forming on the male's forehead. _H-He m-made that without even looking...?!_

The balls continued to be effortlessly thrown in with such grace and rhythm... And the score continued to climb without missing a beat.

The score soon surpassed 61, but Midorima wasn't done yet.

"Wait, I know him..." someone in the crowd said.

"Isn't he—?"

"Midorima Shintarou!" someone else exclaimed suddenly. "He's the Generation of Miracles' best shooter!"

_Generation of Miracles?!_ Once Kitano Manabu realized his opponent's identity, he knew he had messed with the wrong guy.

120... 121... 122.

The score suddenly stopped and the entire room froze in silence. Midorima had a ball in his hands; he hadn't missed, so the game was still going, but he thought that this was more than enough to end the challenge. He motioned for Tomoko to come by him.

"Take your shot," he said. The caramel haired girl blinked in wonder.

"You want me to do it? I might miss."

"I cannot lose, but I am done with this childish game."

She puffed up her cheeks once she got his meaning, "So you want me to miss for you so you don't have to..."

"That is correct."

Tomoko took the ball from the prideful male and stood in front of the machine. Taking a deep breath, she released it.

123.

"W-Woah!" she blinked and laughed giddily at her accomplishment. "Take that, Midorima-kun! It actually went in!" Midorima's eyes ticked. He wasn't used to being wrong. Her next shot, however, did miss and he felt slightly better.

_As expected,_ he pushed up his glasses coolly.

"That's 123 points! Incredible!" the crowd around them cheered.

"He doubled Kitano's score!"

"Oi Kitano! Looks like you lost the bet!"

Kitano visibly paled. He wanted to run away, but that would only make his situation more pitiful and embarrassing. What will Midorima tell him to do? Surely he won't be able to show his face around here anymore!

"I warned you," Tomoko told the male. There was no mockery in her voice, but she wanted him to know that he shouldn't go around causing trouble with such a haughty attitude.

"He just got lucky this time, that's all!" Kitano gulped when sharp emerald eyes locked onto his.

"Another foolish thought," Midorima scuffed. "I never miss my shots. Be grateful that I did not increase the gap even further. Now, I believe you owe me the bet."

"...W-What do you want?!"

"Learn some etiquette. Apologize for your crass action," he said simply. Although he didn't specify who, everyone knew the person he was referring to. Everyone was startled with the miracle's request, however. He had the chance to make his opponent do whatever he wanted, and he chose something as simple as an apology?

"Like hell—!" Kitano started to yell, but the glares from both Midorima and the rest of the crowd got him to shut up.

"A bet's a bet, Kitano."

"Yeah, it's not like he asked you to crawl out of the arcade like _you_ wanted him to do!"

Gritting his teeth, Kitano walked up to Tomoko. They were all watching him, so there was no way out of this. Swallowing his pride, he muttered out an apology to the bewildered girl. "Sorry!" he said and quickly shoved his way out of the arcade.

Everyone cheered, and Tomoko blinked at the empty space before her momentarily before a small smile made its way to her face. She was glad this whole ordeal ended peacefully. _Midorima-kun didn't want to embarrass him at the end... _

She turned towards her green haired friend, but he was no longer by the machine. Instead, she found him standing in front of the counter where all of the prizes were, and she laughed to herself. _Of course. _

"Wow kid, didn't think you were _that_ good," the man behind the stand praised with a whistle. He pointed to the giant beanbag penguin, "100 points gets you _this_ baby!"

"I will like to exchange that for the Russian doll," Midorima immediately said. When he noticed Tomoko coming up from behind, he added, "and the husky."

The man behind the stand looked at him incredulously. "You sure you don't want the grande prize?"

"Yes."

"Alright..." the man handed him the doll he desired so much as well as the small husky.

Midorima internally smiled with victory. Finally... _Finally,_ his lucky item was in his hands... That should ensure that no more troublesome things will happen for the rest of the day.

"Did you get your prize, Midorima-kun?" Tomoko asked him. Midorima quickly hid the husky toy behind his back as he nodded, showing her the red wooden doll.

"That's good!" she smiled and walked with the male out of the arcade. "See, the arcade isn't so bad. Did you have fun?"

"Hardly," Midorima said.

"Well, I had fun~"

"Hn."

He guessed it actually wasn't _that_ bad, since Tomoko was there, but he would never admit that out loud. He then noticed the time; it was way past noon already and he should head back... But he still had the husky prize with him, clutched behind his back, and he didn't know how to give it to the girl without being awkward about it.

"Is something wrong, Midorima-kun?" Tomoko asked, noticing the weird look on his face. "I was going to say that I should head home to finish my math homework, but are you okay? The heat didn't get to your head, did it?"

"I..."

She leaned closer worriedly and Midorima blushed, suddenly shoving the toy into her face.

"Uhf!" she caught the fluffy stuffed animal and looked at it with wide eyes. "This is—!"

"Do not think anything of this. I merely had extra points to spare," Midorima quickly cut her off and turned his back to her. "I am leaving now."

Tomoko stared at the green haired miracle incredulously. She has come to realize just how right Takao was when he called the miracle a _tsundere_. "Midorima-kun!" she called after him. He turned around and gave her a weak glare, to which she smiled at. "Thank you!"

She watched him storm away with embarrassment and a small laugh escaped her lips. It was just like the time he helped out Kagami and played it off as something else...

Midorima Shintarou was simply too prideful to just admit straightforwardly that he was doing something nice. But he was, indeed, a very nice person.

* * *

Aomine was lying on the grassy open field by himself for god knows how long after Momoi left him alone, being fed up with his terrible mood. Oh well, he told her he'll come to the next practice and that got her to cheer up a bit before she left.

_Maybe I'll take a nap here... _he yawned tiredly, closing his eyes. However, he didn't go off to dreamland immediately. His mind traveled to a certain caramel haired manager and he scowled.

Why did she have to be on his mind? Seeing the way she was cheering so earnestly for Kise during their game really got to him. Was it because she promised him before the game that she'll cheer for him, and then at the end she was only showing concern for Kise?

It was Kise's own fault for trying to do something he was incapable of doing, anyway! He then frowned; was he actually starting to feel bad about what happened to Kise?

_...Hell no._

But there was a bigger question at hand—just why the hell did he feel so irritated when it came to situations that involved the Seirin manager? He's only met her a handful of times, and yet, she was one of the only females aside from Momoi who he genuinely didn't mind having around. Momoi was his childhood friend, so naturally he was used to her and cared for her... But Okuma Tomoko was different.

Her words—declarations—and actions excited and and fueled his being each time. She was something interesting in his otherwise boring life. He wouldn't say that he had feelings for her quite yet, but she definitely was someone that held something special in his heart and mind, and it was frustrating to see that his former teammates were swarming her.

Being the way that he was, Aomine never experienced this type of uncertainty and he definitely didn't like the feeling. It felt like a brewing battle was surfacing between him and his teammates and it didn't have anything to do with basketball...

"You really can sleep anywhere, can't you?"

Oddly, that sounded awfully like Okuma Tomoko... _Heh, am I hearing her voice in my head now? _

Aomine opened his eyes just in case though, and blinked disbelievingly when he saw her actual person peering down at him with a toy husky in her arms. "What the..." he sat up and looked at her closer just to make sure that she was actually real.

"Hi Aomine-kun!" Tomoko greeted. "What a coincidence to find you here!"

"Shouldn't you be with—" he quickly stopped his sentence when he realized just how creepy he'd sound if he told her that he knew of her whereabouts. She titled her head to the side in confusion.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing!" he muttered and crossed his arms behind his head and laid back down. He wanted to ignore her and convince himself that whatever she does wouldn't concern him, but he quickly found that he couldn't as he heard some shuffling and found Tomoko laying besides him. "...Oi, what are you doing?"

Turning her head slightly to look at him, she flashed him a wide smile. "I was wondering if laying down here was comfortable since you like to sleep on the ground so much. It's actually not too bad!" She patted the soft grass.

"Heh..." Aomine felt a devious smirk surfacing and his bad mood was temporarily forgotten. "You sure you're not just tryin' to find an excuse to get close to me?"

"Eh~ You're twisting my words!"

"Am I?" he grinned as she pursed her lips. "Or are you just hiding your attraction to me_, _babe?"

Instead of answering, Tomoko only hummed as her thoughts trailed off elsewhere. Outside of games, Aomine Daiki was actually a pretty normal human being. Like she told Kuroko before, she felt that Aomine was lonely because he pushed everyone out of his world, and he needed someone to open up that wall he built out of arrogance. It was deeper than just beating him in a game to show him that he wasn't alone... _Maybe he needs a friend, _she nodded with resolve and rolled over to face the male.

"Can we be friends, Aomine-kun?"

"Ha?" he sounded surprised.

"I wouldn't mind being close to you. Let's be friends!"

_...The first part sounded so damn misleading! _Aomine thought. He looked at her sincere expression (along with the toy's impossibly big blue eyes) blankly. His attempt to fluster the girl didn't go as planned... If anything, _he_ was the one who couldn't find something to say back to her. Was this how it was like for Kise and Midorima? For Kuroko?

"Do you say that to everyone you meet?" he raised one navy colored brow.

The caramel haired girl laughed, "It's the first step to making friends, you know."

"Even if our teams are opponents, huh?" the miracle smirked idly. He thought she was too friendly for her own good... But he wasn't one to turn down a girl. Especially if she was a pretty one. "That sounds interesting enough."

"So we're friends?" she concluded with a happy grin.

"Sure. Just don't go cryin' when I defeat your team again," Aomine said cockily, turning his head to look straight into her bright salmon eyes. In turn, she stared at him in a thoughtful silence. "...What?"

A few seconds passed and she lifted herself off the ground before finally speaking. "You can't win by yourself, Aomine-kun."

"Ha? Of course I can," he replied with nonchalant confidence.

"Just wait for us then! We'll show you that you can't play alone, and not only that, we'll become the team that you'll enjoy playing with again," she declared with her signature lopsided smile.

Aomine looked at her amusingly. It was kind of hard not to laugh when she was trying to say something serious with that damn husky toy clutched to her body; she looked like a little kid demanding for more ice-cream after dinner. _Cute._

"Eh," he grinned, deciding to humor her. "Try to not let it be a repeat of Interhigh then, O-chibi-kuma."

Tomoko glared at him confidently, a spark of determination shining in her eyes. "You'll see. Seirin has gotten a lot stronger since then..." a playful smile tugged on her lips. "So prepare for us, _Daikon_!"

"W-What the hell did you just call me?!"

Aomine's eyes ticked with embarrassment as he plucked the toy out of her arms in retaliation, but she was quickly able to snatch it back because he was in a sitting position so the toy was very much within her reach. She laughed and stuck her tongue out childishly at his fuming face. "I'm going to call you Daikon since you keep calling me O-chibi-kuma," she explained cheerfully before waving and running away.

"OI!"

"I have to go now. See ya!"

Aomine glared at anyone whose attention had drawn his way and made them hurry along on their way as a blush and a scowl made their way to his face. "She just called me a _radish_..." he grumbled. Though he was annoyed with her, he didn't hate her... Tomoko was really all he could think about as he stomped off the field. She was interesting, alright...

And he decided that he definitely didn't want to lose this "battle" to the others.

* * *

Far away off on the other side of the field, there was a couple that had watched Aomine's and Tomoko's out of ear-shot exchange with interest—well, one of the was showing more interest than the other. That person was a tall, mature-looking high school male, and standing next to him was a shorter, cute high school girl with two red ribbons in her ginger hair.

"Nozaki-kun...?" the girl, Sakura Chiyo, watched as the male scribbled something in his handy notepad.

"Open field... Couples' quarrel... Husky toy?" he mumbled, an excited expression taking over his normally serious face as he found more inspiration for the next issue of his manga. "I got it. Some guy gives Mamiko a gift and Suzuki says something snarky out of jealously when he finds out. Mamiko runs away and Suzuki is forced to chase after her!"

Sakura only laughed with a sort of exasperation at her companion's enthusiasm as he took out a camera and snapped some pictures of the field. She looked at the disappearing figures ahead; couples or just friends, those two will have no idea that they will most likely be featured in some way in the mangaka's next issue...

_Well, at least they're probably making more progress than me__..._ she pouted and followed behind her oblivious crush. The mangaka was more interested in his manga series than her not-so-subtle feelings...

Little did she know though, the romantic aspect of Okuma Tomoko's life was going to be a hell lot harder and more confusing than her own. Nozaki would probably have a field day if he ever gets wind of the girl's situation.

* * *

_"Shin-chan may be good at pretending, but nothing can fool these eyes of mine!"_

_-Takao Kazunari_

* * *

**Please let me know your thoughts!**


	22. Choices, Chances, Changes

Quick update before I go off on vacation for the entire month of July... I personally love this chapter, so I hope y'all do too. Special thanks to _AvatarNIX_ and _The Flightless Girl_ for some of the ideas/inspiration put into this chapter!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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Tomoko had her hands cupping her face as she leaned on the table inside a restaurant. There was a tranquil smile on her face as she watched the comical scene of Kagami trying to use chopsticks to pick up broccoli with his left hand in front of her.

The green vegetable wobbled between the wooden sticks before slipping from its grasp once again.

"DAMN IT!" Kagami cried in frustration. It was his tenth time trying on that single broccoli!

"Kagami, shut up already!" Hyuuga said exasperatedly. Just watching the redhead struggle was a pain, nevertheless _hearing_ him too. "You're disturbing others!"

"Uh... Sorry!"

Teppei nodded in understanding, "Broccoli is slippery."

"That's not the problem here," the captain rolled his eyes. Following the end of summer vacation (and their second training camp), Riko ordered a practice match against Komada High immediately during the first week of the new semester. Getting hungry after their game, the team had settled in a quaint restaurant for a bite in celebration for winning. "What are you doing anyway?" he asked Kagami.

"He's practicing using his left hand," Tomoko answered for the redhead since he was too engrossed in his task. "It's so he can be more flexible with using both hands on the court!"

The piece of broccoli flew out of his chopsticks this time and landed across the table where Number 2 stuck his head out from Kuroko's gym bag. With a swift move, the puppy snatched it.

"Damn you! Give it back!" Kagami shouted angrily as Number 2 hid back into the bag.

"Kagami!" Hyuuga warned again from across the table. He had no choice but to suck it up and sit back down with a small scowl on his face. Tomoko and Kuroko both looked at the redhead with a knowing smile.

The other first-years snickered good-naturedly before going back to their conversation about the upcoming weekend. "By the way, what do you guys want to do tomorrow?"

"I'll probably sleep mostly, since it's our day off," Fukuda said contently. Kawahara sighed in wonder about his plans as well.

"H-Hey!" Furihata suddenly got an idea as he dug into his school bag to pull something out. It was a piece of advertisement paper for a 5-on-5 street ball tournament. "Why don't we do this?"

"Oh! Street ball!"

Tomoko also perked up, "Tetsuya-kun, Taiga-chan, we should tag along too!"

From the other end of the table, Riko glanced at the paper and raised her brows disapprovingly. "Wait a second, you guys finally get a break! You should rest!"

"We know, but..." Furihata looked conflicted along with the other two. "We're not first string so we don't get to play in games... And well, we'd really like to play sometimes."

Teppei nodded with enthusiasm lacing his expression. "Good for you! That's the spirit, first-years! Right, Hyuuga?" The captain blinked at being suddenly pulled into this issue.

"Y-Yeah."

"Riko!" Teppei then called, "In honor of the first-years' spirit and dedication, you should let them go!"

"I'll watch over them!" Tomoko added hopefully.

"Eh? W-Well..." the brunette coach sighed in defeat. There was just no arguing when two people were giving her the pleading look. "Just the first-years, then. The rest of you have to go home and rest this weekend!"

Tomoko and Teppei cheered, giving each other high-fives. "Alright!"

* * *

"So, what are _you_ doing here?!" Kagami's eye twitched at a certain brunette second-year. It was the day of the tournament and the first-years were all suppose to meet up at the location...

"What, I can't be here?" Teppei asked innocently and smiled. "Kawahara caught a cold, so I'm taking over for him."

"O-Oh..." Kagami scratched his head in realization. He then turned to his other side and pointed an accusing finger at someone behind Tomoko. He's certainly never seen this guy before! "Then who is _he_?!"

"Watch who you're pointing your finger at, brat," the male glared menacingly. He was a handsome male with a not-so-charming aura about him. Tomoko grinned sheepishly.

"This is my brother, Ichirou! Sorry guys, he insisted on coming with me today..."

Ichirou pouted animatedly at his sister's offhanded remark. The older male didn't look like Tomoko the slightest; his sharp and dark maroon eyes and styled raven hair made him look quite tough, but that terse exterior quickly dissolved into the look of a dejected puppy as Teppei and the first-years continued to witness his interaction with the younger Okuma.

"But imouto-chan~! I barely got to see you in the summer since you were so busy with the training camps! So of course I'm going to tag along!"

_He's a sis-con?! _They thought in shock.

"You wouldn't be able to do anything here, Ichi-nii. There's already five people playing."

"So? With dad away on a his business trip, it's up to _me _to protect you from these lecherous Tokyo wolves!"

_Somehow, our cute manager's brother is both what we expected and didn't expect at the same time... _The older brother was _definitely_ more protective than the Okuma head was towards Tomoko.

"Mah," Teppei piped up and gained the two siblings' attention. Even though Ichirou looked at him suspiciously, he only smiled and stuck out his hand for the older male to shake. "I find that very admirable! It is also the entire basketball team's duty to protect Okuma-chan, so rest assure! Let's have some fun today, shall we?"

When the older Okuma didn't say anything at first, the first-years held their breaths. _What's going to happen?! Are we going to die?!_

Finally, Ichirou seemed to have taken in Teppei's honest words to heart as a determined smile stretched across his face. "I approve of you," he took Teppei's hand and shook it vigorously. "I was worried that Tokyo would be filled with disgusting wolves trying to get their grubby claws on my cute imouto-chan, but you are _certainly_ reliable!"

"Ah! Thank you for saying that!" Teppei also smiled, mirroring Ichirou's expression.

"I will put my trust in you when I'm not around! Will you take this important job of looking after my imouto-chan?"

"I will be honored, Okuma-san!"

"What is your name, good samurai?"

"Kiyoshi Teppei!"

Kagami, Kuroko, and the other two first-years blinked incredulously at the scene before them. The two males were hitting it off in such a short period of time!

"Don't mind Ichi-nii," Tomoko laughed by their side. She didn't look too bothered by the two enthusiastic males. "He's always like this."

_Rather..._ they looked back at Teppei and Ichirou. _T__hey're kind of alike!_

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_twenty-two_

**choices, chances, changes**

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Walking through the area the tournament was taking place, Kagami realized that street ball was pretty popular among the people of Japan as well. The turnout was huge! Five member groups were hanging around, talking or practicing before the games started. The sight was familiar and brought back memories.

_This isn't any different from America,_ Kagami watched with a small smile on his face as one hand played with the hanging ring around his neck absentmindedly.

"You're excited aren't you," Tomoko noticed from besides him. He nodded.

"Yeah."

"Does that ring have a story behind it?" she pointed out. The redhead always wore that ring around his neck, so it must signify something important.

Looking down on the steel object, Kagami smirked with a somewhat sad expression. "It's a long story," he said offhandedly before following Furihata towards the sign-in booth with the others.

Tomoko cocked her head in thought. _Does the ring hold a sad memory? _

"Please sign in here to enter!"

As the Seirin first-years and Teppei went to sign in, Ichirou looked at the sheet with interest. He had played basketball before and was pretty good at it, after all. He wanted to join, too, however he realized that he didn't have a team...

"Hey kid, put me on your team as a back up," he set a hand on Furihata's shoulder, scaring the boy with the sudden contact.

"I-I don't know if we can do that," Furihata said nervously. Ichirou nodded dejectedly before lookinng around elsewhere. Spotting another guy signing up his team, he went over to ask him if there was an extra spot.

"Sorry, we're filled up..." the blonde teen said apologetically before noticing his friend's mistake. "Tsugawa you idiot! You wrote it wrong!"

Team Seirin looked over with surprise after hearing the familiar name. Wasn't Tsugawa the name of someone they played before? Seeing the baldy across from them, Kagami and the rest mirrored the other team's disbelief.

"Seiho?!"

"Seirin?!"

The day was just full of surprises...

* * *

"What the hell are you guys doing here?"

Pausing their exercise, Hyuuga and the other second-years turned their head towards the door where their highly un-amused coach stood with a paper clutched in her hand.

"Hey," Hyuuga greeted.

"Didn't I tell you to rest? I can't believe none of you are taking this holiday seriously," Riko frowned with an exasperated sigh. "You're pushing yourselves too hard, you know!"

"Ah, it's just for a little while," Izuki replied as he dribbled. "Kiyoshi and the first-years all went out to have their fun, and we have nothing better to do. What are _you_ doing here?"

"Teppei went to the tournament too?" the coach shook her head incredulously. _That idiot..._ "Anyway... I was just looking at the Interhigh results again. As you know, the schools attended by the Generation of Miracles took the top spots. Rakuzan is placed first again this year and they also recruited a member of the Generation of Miracles... Their former captain, to be precise."

"Rakuzan must be strong out of this world to force Touou into second place!" Koganei exclaimed, remembering how hard it was playing the tanned miracle's school.

"It's not that simple," Riko lowered her eyes in thought. She's been mulling over a reason for a while now and it has been bothering her that she couldn't get the answer. "It's true that the top three schools are strong, but their ranking doesn't reflect the difference in their true ability."

Hyuuga raised a brow, "What do you mean?"

"For some reason, all three members of the Generation of Miracles were benched during their semi-final and final games," she revealed, shocking the team.

_All three?! But why would they do that...?_

* * *

Sitting down together on an grassy space near the street courts after winning the first few matches, both teams brought out their food to eat for lunch. Seiho had store-bought sandwiches and chips while Tomoko and her mom had provided a home-made picnic for Seirin.

The guys started talking as Ichirou, the only outsider, pouted gloomily in the corner. Tomoko patted her older brother's back sympathetically.

"It's okay to sit out. Didn't you say you didn't want to play anyway?"

"But it looks fun now..."

She grinned and pulled out some food, "There, there~ Eat an onigiri and you'll be fine."

Meanwhile, Kasuga was unwrapping his sandwich as he smirked besides Kuroko. "Seriously though, what a coincidence this is. What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be practicing?"

"We have the day off," Kuroko replied.

Iwamura had taken a sit next to Teppei and was asking about the second-year's well being. The captain knew about the leg injury. "You can play already?"

"Ah, a little," Teppei replied sheepishly.

"Whur about you?" Kagami asked with his mouth full, making the other team sweat drop at the amount of food he could stuff in there. "Shouldn't you be practicing too?"

At the question, Tsugawa shoved his face in front of Kagami and peered at him threateningly, "Wow, you trying to pick a fight?!"

The redhead swallowed, not understanding why the baldy sounded so offended by his question. It was a normal question! Across from him, Teppei sighed.

"Kagami, you shouldn't be so insensitive..."

"Just ignore Tsugawa," Iwamura shook his head. He wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. "Us third years have retired."

Kagami widened his eyes, "But what about the Winter Cup?!"

"Only the top eight teams from Interhigh can participate in the Winter Cup heats," Kasuga explained, a bit surprised that the redhead didn't know. The Seiho captain nodded.

"So only first and second place in Interhigh from our block, Seirin and Shutoku, gets to compete."

"Since we lost to you guys, we're automatically disqualified," the blonde said again, standing up. "We're just taking a break from studying for exams today."

Giving Teppei a small smile, Iwamura stood with the rest of his team. "If we play each other today, let's play the game we missed last year." Teppei chuckled.

"Don't play too hard!"

"People don't forget that easily," Kasuga smiled as well. "I wish this coincidence could've happened while we were still smoldering."

"Yeah! But this time for sure I will defeat Seirin!" Tsugawa exclaimed with his eyes shifting over to the Tomoko. She looked up from her food and blinked as he clinched his fist in the air. "Then Cheerleader-san will _have_ to come to our side!"

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that," Teppei said good-naturedly. Ichirou, fuming by the second-year's side, nodded as a murderous glint flashed across his deep maroon eyes at the baldy. Tsugawa was immediately dragged away by the Seiho captain to avoid bloodshed caused by his big mouth.

"Although I'm disappointed that Hyuuga and other others are missing, we'll have our revenge anyway so we can focus on our exams without reservations."

"Ah," team Seirin replied together, accepting the friendly challenge. "Bring it on!"

* * *

"You should eat faster, Taiga-chan! Seiho's game's last game should be starting soon," Tomoko pouted as he stuffed another sandwich in his mouth. Seirin's match didn't start until after Seiho's game, but time was getting close and the redhead was _still_ eating.

"We haf 'ome time," he said, or tried to, before gulping down a bottle of water. The rest could only shake their heads with exasperation. Some water trailed down his shirt and he yelled out. "Damn it!"

As he wiped his black shirt wildly with a napkin, the chained ring around his neck bounced around and caught the attention of the manager again. She perked up.

"Hey... How about you tell us about the ring then?"

"Ha? I'm busy eating," he muttered, but it was too late as the rest of the group took notice of his ring as well. They were also interested to know why he wore that specific ring with him everyday.

"Come on, tell us!" Fukuda prompted excitedly, but the redhead still looked hesitant.

"Maybe it's a ring he bought for a girl and the girl rejected him," Ichirou said offhandedly, popping some peanuts in his mouth. Tomoko and Teppei gasped.

"How sad!"

"That's not it!" Kagami retorted immediately, earning a smirk from the older Okuma. Sighing, he finally caved. Holding the metal ring between his finger, he told the them the story starting when he first moved to America.

_His parents had decided to move to the States when Kagami was in third grade. It wasn't that big of a deal to him, but he was troubled by his inability to make new friends. The language wasn't that hard to learn, yet others seemed to avoid him for some reason._

_It was by pure chance that he walked by a street basketball court and a friendly young Japanese boy came up to him and offered him to join a basketball game._

_His name was Himuro Tatsuya, and he was a year older. Kagami quickly became friends with him. They often played basketball together, and even as a child, Kagami could tell that the black haired boy was exceptionally good. It was through Himuro that he got his passion for basketball._

_"The most important part of basketball is outwitting your opponent. Your mind should be cold, and your heart should be on fire. You need to continuously think while you play, and you have to hate to lose," Himuro told him with a smile._

_Soon, Kagami had become good at basketball and found that Himuro was right when he said that Kagami will make friends if others liked and respected his talent._

_"You'll be fine now," Himuro said, and Kagami laughed with a bright grin on his face._

_"I don't have any siblings, but if I had an older brother, I imagine he'd be kind of like you."_

_At his words, Himuro ran off to a nearby jewelry stand and bought two matching rings. He gave one to Kagami and put the other on himself._

_"Then this will prove that we're brothers."_

_They grinned at each other and clutched onto the ring. They were brothers now. _

_Their elementary years passed by quickly, and soon Kagami was in middle school. Himuro had attended a different school than him, so their meetings ceased for a while. It wasn't until his second year of middle school did he meet Himuro again..._

_And that meeting was the first time Kagami ever beat the black haired boy in a game. They've grown, both in height and skill. Happy with the reunion, they continued to play like they used to every week since then. _

_But one day, when their record reached 49 to 49 wins... _

_"If I lose the next game, I won't be able to call you my brother anymore," Himuro said after their game. "If I lose to my younger brother, how can I call myself your older brother?" _

_"What? But..."_

_"Sorry Taiga, but to call myself your brother, I can't lose to you. If I lose, I don't want to call myself that." _

"So what happened?" Tomoko asked after Kagami paused for a bit. "Who won?"

He looked away guiltily as the memory of that day came back to him.

"We tied..."

_He had caught a glimpse of the bandages on Himuro's arm and knew then that it was what handicapped the boy. Himuro wasn't able to move or shoot the ball like he usually could, so Kagami decided to do something he knew he might__ regret._

_"Why did you miss?! Is that supposed to be pity?!" Himuro was angry and had punched Kagami hard in the face after seeing the redhead miss the last shot. "I don't remember telling you to hold back!"_

_"I don't want to be your enemy... I want things to stay the same," Kagami told Himuro. The older boy looked away and gritted his teeth. _

_"I see..." he said, gripping on to the ring hanging from his neck before pulling on it harshly. The chain snapped. "If you're going to go easy on me because of that, then I'll bet this ring on the next game! If you lose the next game, we'll pretend this ring never existed." _

_"Tatsuya..." Kagami widened his eyes._

_"Don't run, Taiga."_

Looking up to see the worried faces of his teammates, Kagami gave them a sad smile. "But I had to return to Japan shortly afterward and I never got to play him. Tatsuya must have thought I ran away after all."

Everyone was silent as they took in everything he said. They didn't think the redhead had such a complex relationship with someone in basketball. He seemed so carefree, after all.

"...Wow. That was actually sadder than having a girl reject you," Ichirou was the first to say something, though what he said didn't cheer the redhead up much. "But really though," his expression turned serious. He didn't understand the whole 'to be your big brother, I have to be stronger than you' ideology. "You guys fought over something like that?"

"Eh?" Kagami blinked, not expecting the sudden scrutiny.

"Besides, it's not like you're really brothers."

_Okuma-san, you're being too insensitive! _Furihata and Fukuda thought in unison. They turned to Tomoko for help.

"If you guys can't be brothers, can't you still be friends?" she wondered as well and the two first-years cried internally with exasperation.

"Kuroko, say something!" Furihata whispered to Kuroko, putting his hope on the quiet phantom to say something to lighten the mood up. The siblings' insensitive questions was probably dampening Kagami's spirit!

"Kagami-kun," he started, but then paused when he heard an announcement from the distance. "Oh, Seiho's game is almost over."

_That's not helping!_ Furihata and Fukuda had lost all hope. _And what more, we're going to miss Seiho's game!_

"Let's hurry to the court!" Teppei grabbed his stuff and beckoned for the rest to follow him towards the large crowd. Kagami's situation was bittersweet, but they wouldn't be able to do anything about it for now...

"Crap, we're going to be late!"

"I bet Seiho already won!"

Running behind them was Tomoko and Kagami. Though the redhead didn't show much on his face, she can tell that the story about his childhood friend really was dear to him. She may not agree with whatever promise the two had made back then, but she was glad that Kagami told her and the team about it.

"It's okay, Taiga-chan!" she smiled and gave him a hard slap on the back. He yelped in surprise and glared down at her. "You and Himuro-kun will meet again one day and everything will be worked out."

"The chance of that happening would be slim," he said grimly. A lot can happen in a year and the world is such a large place... So he shook off his internal emotions and decided to not think about it and instead paid attention to what was in front of him. There was a large crowd surround the court where Seiho was playing and he stopped his tracks when he saw the score.

"Anything can happen! There's always a chance for everything, and you can make the choice to change how you handle it," Tomoko said from behind before bumping into Kagami's back. "Ow, why'd you stop?" When she looked up at the the scoreboard, she realized why when _51 to 32_ stared down at her.

Seiho had lost by a large margin.

"They... Lost?" Furihata couldn't believe his eyes. Everyone seemed to be shocked.

Kagami was frozen to his spot by a different reason, however. Behind the defeated Seiho players stood a lone black haired male that he never though he'd meet again. It was almost ironic how he was just talking about _him_.

"What... What are you doing here..."

Tomoko and the rest followed the redhead's gaze towards the person he was addressing._ Could it be?_

"Himuro Tatsuya!"

* * *

The rustling of a plastic bag could be heard as a certain purple haired giant walked down the street, crunching on a pocky stick.

"Ah, I wish the flavor had a little more punch," he mumbled while looking around to see where he was. The busy streets here were a lot different from the quieter ones in Akita, and he seemed to have mixed up the meeting place with his traveling companion when he took a detour to a convenient store to buy snacks.

He checked his phone and saw that there was only a single text from his missing companion. Apparently the older male was at a street ball tournament...

Sort of remembering his way around Tokyo since he used to live and attend junior high here, Murasakibara started walking towards the direction of the location his friend sent him.

However, there was a big pout on his face as he clutched his phone in his hand, and it was because of a different reason.

A certain someone hasn't been replying his texts.

* * *

"Taiga?" the black haired male said, widening his eyes slightly in realization. He then walked up to Kagami, _"Well, well, Taiga. What a surprise to find you here."_

_"You don't look surprised at all,"_ Kagami replied in English as well, eyes narrowing. _"Keeping the usual poker face?"_

_"I'm not keeping a poker face. It's how I am." _

"What's a 'puka face'?" Tomoko asked her brother after hearing their exchange; her brother was way better at English than she was. The older Okuma leaned down to reply.

"He means he has an expressionless face."

Tomoko nodded in understanding, going back to assess the male carefully. _T__his is Himuro Tatsuya... Kagami's 'brother'..._

_"Hey, so you are the guy that this kid was talking about," _Ichirou stepped up, putting his language skills to use. It wasn't as good as the other two who have lived in the States for such a long time, but he was decent. _"The big brother?"_

Having so many good English-speakers around them talking, Furihata and the rest didn't know what to do and only looked from one person to the other with panicking faces. Himuro saw that and smiled in reassurance.

"Ah, don't worry, I can speak Japanese too."

"Thank goodness!" they cried in relief.

"It looks like Taiga has already told you guys about me, huh?" he said, nodding at Ichirou to address his previous question. "You are right. You could say that I am like Taiga's brother... I was disappointed back then when I couldn't settle the score, but I came back to Japan this year, and now I attend Yosen."

Teppei widened his eyes and Kuroko and Tomoko did the same for a similar reason. _Yosen High..._

_I know an annoying fly that goes there, _Ichirou, meanwhile, thought with a roll of his eyes.

"I thought we'd meet eventually..." Himuro locked his grey eyes onto Kagami's fiery red ones. "Let's fulfill _that_ promise today."

_"Don't run, Taiga."_

Those words replayed back in Kagami's head and he gritted his teeth. He wanted Himuro to know that he wasn't a coward who was running away, but he really didn't want to lose his friend—his _brother—_to a game that was going to determine the fate of their relationship. It was why he had been so hesitant to defeat Himuro that day.

"...Tatsuya!"

"What?" the poker-faced male turned back.

"I... You... I can't..." he couldn't get his words out and Himuro raised a brow. Suddenly, a furry paw hit his cheek and he looked down to see Kuroko wordlessly holding the husky in his hands.

Himuro blinked in wonder as the rest of the team only sighed at the shadow's impatience.

"Ow! Number 2?!" Kagami freaked out, backing away from the husky in shock. "Since when did you bring him?!"

"I don't like it when you're indecisive," Kuroko said, passing Number 2 to Tomoko. The puppy licked her face happily.

"Ha?!"

"As I was going to say before we started running, I understand the situation and I think it's your fault for going easy on him," Kuroko continued with slightly narrowed eyes.

Kagami's eyes widened and he retorted, "But if I had won...!"

"You wouldn't be able to call Himuro-san your brother, and winning when he was off his game probably isn't what you wanted. But no one wants their opponent to go easy on them in the game they love," the shorter boy interjected. "Also, even if you're not brothers, it's not as though you would change."

"That's what I've been trying to say all along," Ichirou muttered, shaking his head. He couldn't believe the shorty got through with it first. Perhaps he could have worded it differently...

"It looks like we've all been thinking the same thing," Tomoko smiled at the redhead. "Brothers or not, the bond between you and Himuro-kun will still be strong!"

With the three's words, Kagami was finally letting everything sink in. _They're all right... _"I like basketball because I enjoy facing strong players... Even if Tatsuya's my opponent," he chuckled. He turned to Kuroko, Tomoko, and Ichirou and clutched the metal ring in his hand, "Thank you guys for making me realize that."

"Thank Number 2~" Tomoko grinned as she waved the pup's little paw around, reminding Kagami of that blasted surprise punch. He then straightened up and called for the black haired male.

"I've made up my mind, Tatsuya! If we go head to head, I'll play as hard as I can, no matter what!"

Himuro gave him a small smile. "Sure. I look forward to playing you today, Taiga."

"See what I mean?" Tomoko patted Kagami on the back, softly this time. She was referring to what she told him earlier. "You're already on your way to making up with Himuro-kun!"

Kagami wanted to glare at her, but she was absolutely right. He realized that she had been cheering him up in her own way. _Thank you, brat._

"I believe I didn't catch your name, miss," Himuro went up to the caramel haired girl, intending to become acquainted with her. "Since you already know me as Taiga's big brother Himuro, it is only fair that I should know who you are as well."

Tomoko grinned and patted Kagami's back in a playful manner, "Then I guess you can say I'm like Taiga-chan's sister! I'm Okuma Tomoko," she said. Unnoticed by her, Ichirou's mouth hung open at her sudden announcement.

_A sister, huh?_ Himuro smiled fondly. _I see you're doing well here, Taiga. _

She then directed his attention to someone besides her, "And this is Taiga-chan's partner, light, brother... You know, whatever you want to call their relationship," she introduced with a bright smile.

"Ah, sorry, but who?" Himuro asked confusingly before taking a small step back once he finally saw the blue haired boy.

...Had that guy been standing there the entire time?

Furihata and Fukuda stared with open jaws. Though having seen this scene far too many times, they seriously thought the black haired male would have known Kuroko was there by now. _He didn't notice after all! _

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. Nice to meet you," Kuroko introduced himself, unaffected by Himuro's question. Tomoko stood besides him and nodded happily.

Himuro's face finally brightened in recognition. Although he returned to Japan not long ago, he's heard about these two; one of them was mentioned quite frequently on his way here by his giant friend on the basketball team, and the other one was said giant's former teammate, apparently.

_The phantom sixth man... _"You found an interesting partner, Taiga," he said as his calculating grey eyes looked over Kuroko. It then shifted towards the girl again. _She must be 'Tomo-chin'. _

His all-knowing response puzzled Kagami and the others; Kagami raised a brow in question, "Tatsuya... You know about Kuroko?"

"Yeah, a little. There's actually an interesting guy on my team, too," he smiled briefly, and before anyone could ask about it further, he turned back to his make-shift team. "Enough of that for now; Taiga, are you ready to settle our score?" he challenged.

Kagami only smirked, stepping up to the court to take on the challenge.

Thus the tournament crew started to set up the score board and more people crowded over to watch the last game.

"The final two remaining teams in this tournament are high school teams!" the announcer exclaimed through the loudspeaker, hyping up the upcoming match. "Who will win?!"

"Seirin better not lose to them," Tsugawa muttered bitterly at the front of the crowd. Tomoko and her brother were also standing by Seiho since non-members can't step inside the court while the game was going on in case of interference.

"Placing third is still awesome! He must be _really_ good if he was able to break through Seiho's steel wall," Tomoko stated, trying to lift the baldy's spirit. It worked, somewhat, and in lieu of saying that, she carefully analyzed Himuro's presence. He really had an air of power around him. "He feels like one of the Generation of Miracles..."

_I'm sure Tetsuya-kun and Taiga-chan also noticed. Himuro-kun isn't your typical basketball player. _

"Let's play for our 50th win," Himuro faced Kagami as the two teams lined up across from each other. The redhead nodded.

"Yeah!"

"Bow!" the announcer ordered, and the teams bowed and dispersed into position. The two childhood friends glared at each other at the tip-off, waiting for the referee to throw the ball.

"It's the tip-off!"

Tomoko grinned excitedly, her heart racing as she wondered who will touch the ball first. However, before it could be determined, someone interfered by setting a wrapped maiubo on top of the spinning ball.

"Sorry, but could you wait a minute?"

Jaws dropped from within the crowd. The guy who interfered was impossibly tall... He was able to reach that height without even jumping for it! _Who is that guy?!_

_Mura-kun?_ Tomoko blinked in surprise at the sight of the snack-loving giant, and next to her, Ichirou nearly had an aneurysm.

_This damn kid is everywhere!_

"Atsushi! You're late," Himuro called out, running up to his friend. Murasakibara hummed.

"Sorry. I got lost."

_It's him... _Teppei thought silently.

"It's been a while, Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko greeted the old friend with a firm expression. He didn't expect to find the purple haired male here in Tokyo, but here he was... Next to him, Kagami looked at the giant with disbelief.

"It's Kuro-chin~ What are you doing here? You look so serious..." the giant grinned down on the shorter boy, hover his large hand over Kuroko's head. "It makes me want to crush you."

Everyone watched on with both bewilderment and shock at Murasakibara's words. He was so much bigger and it would be easy to overpower the blue haired boy... Furihata and Fukuda gritted their teeth. _What is he trying to do?!_

"Just kidding~"

From the sidelines, Ichirou could feel his eyes twitch with just the sight of the nonchalant giant. "Oi, shrimp! You got a lot of nerve to show up here!"

"Okuma-san knows him too?" Furihata asked. _And 'shrimp'?!_

"Hm?" Murasakibara ruffled Kuroko's hair quickly before turning around; he perked up and walked over to where both Okumas was standing. "Tomo-chin..."

_He completely ignored Okuma-san!_ the two Seirin first-years gasped internally.

"How are you, Mura-kun?" she smiled, but Murasakibara didn't reciprocate it and frowned instead.

"You're ignoring me so you can hang out with Kuro-chin and Muro-chin..." he whined with a dark expression clouding his face. "That's not fair, Tomo-chin."

"Ignoring you...?"

_This guy... I walked pass this guy at Interhigh..._ Kagami narrowed his eyes as the giant got closer to the caramel haired manager. He saw Murasakibara reach for her and he felt his legs starting to move towards them before his mind even gave out the action. He was genuinely concerned for what was about to happen. _Oi, what is he going to—! _

"Okuma!" he shouted, reaching over to her, but he was too late.

"Eeep! M-Mura-kun!"

In a blink of an eye, faster than Kagami or Ichirou or anyone else could stop him, Murasakibara had picked the smaller girl up swiftly and threw her over his shoulder so that she was hanging like a sack of potatoes. Immediately, a demonic fire lit up around Ichirou, Kagami, and even Kuroko, and the crowd wisely started to back away from them to not get caught between the crossfire...

_What is this turn of events?!_ Furihata and Fukuda shouted along with the rest inside their heads.

* * *

_"Our manager sure do attract all kinds of people..."_

_-Furihata Kouki_

* * *

**Review?**


	23. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

I loved all of the responses that I got last chapter! Thank you guys so much! I wanted to post this chapter sooner, but I didn't realize that wifi on the cruise I'm on is so expensive (75 cent per min!) So, I've just been spending time writing and editing this until I got to port (today, yay!) Enjoy!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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The court turned deadly silent, and then...

"I'M GOING TO _KILL_ YOU!"

Thankfully, Kasuga and Iwamura jumped in and held the angry Okuma down to prevent him from jumping over the metal barrier and ash out on the purple haired miracle. However, the other side didn't look too peaceful anyway as Kagami and Kuroko fumed.

"Oh, it's Tomo-chin's brother. Hello," Murasakibara waved after finally noticing the positively murderous twenty-year-old.

"Don't you _'hello'_ me!" Ichirou shouted, still trying to break away from Iwamura—the senior was having quite a difficult time, but he held on because he knows what would happen if he _didn't_. "Put her down right now or you're going to get it!"

"No," the giant pouted childishly. "I'm taking Tomo-chin away now because she was ignoring my texts."

Understandably, that made the males who knew the girl quite pissed.

"Mura-kun," Tomoko, still hanging on his shoulder, laughed softly. She was surprised to feel how toned he was under her—upon their first meeting, she was convinced that the giant had to have _some_ fat on him because of the amount of snacks he consumed, but he _didn't_, and as tall as he was, he wasn't incredibly lanky. Even if he said that he hated moving around, she could tell that he still did because of basketball. "Please put me down. I'm sorry that I didn't see the messages... I'll make it up to you with cake, okay?"

That seemed to do the trick as Murasakibara let her down gently, though he still held onto her arm.

"Let's go then~"

"Oi! What's your deal?!" Kagami shouted, teeth clenched in anger. He went up to them and grabbed a hold of Tomoko's other arm, pulling her towards him. "Don't just walk in here and kidnap people!"

Murasakibara frowned and tugged harder. "I wasn't talking to you. Let go of Tomo-chin's arm."

"You let go!"

"No, you."

Tomoko blinked at the two glaring males nervously, not knowing what to do. She was basically a rag doll at this point, being fought over by two arguing teens.

"How about you both let go," Kuroko interrupted and clamped his hands down on both of their arms. His sapphire eyes bore into theirs heatedly, "Tomoko-san is not a toy."

_This shorty isn't too bad,_ Ichirou thought from the sidelines, finally calming down as both males released their hold on his sister. _I owe you one!_

"Thank you, Tetsuya-kun," Tomoko smiled in relief and turned to the redhead and the giant. "Taiga-chan, Mura-kun, please calm down and be friendly with each other!"

"As if!" Kagami muttered with a scowl.

"Whatever," Murasakibara mumbled and took out a bag of chips before offering some to the girl, which she gladly accepted with a bright grin. "I came because Muro-chin said he wanted to sight-see in Tokyo, but then he changed the location to play street ball..."

"Sorry, sorry," Himuro apologized, "I was offered to play and it sounded like fun."

"I'll forgive you only because I found Tomo-chin here~"

Sensing the hostility dissipate, the crowd felt like they could finally breathe a little. Numerous pairs of eyes watched the caramel haired girl with interest and respect for bringing peace back to the area.

...Although, she was _the reason_ why the whole commotion even started.

"Eh... Shall we continue the match, then?" the announcer finally asked.

"Oh, I forgot," Murasakibara suddenly said, turning to the black haired teen on the court. "Muro-chin, Yosen has a rule that says we can't play in unofficial games. I'm here to stop you."

Himuro blinked. "Really? That's a shame, then."

_He also goes to Yosen... That means..._ "Are you the Generation of Miracles' center? Yosen also played in the Interhigh and placed third, didn't they?!" Furihata exclaimed. "Did you play as well?"

"Hm? Tomo-chin, you didn't tell them?" the purple haired miracle asked. When Tomoko shook her head sheepishly for forgetting, he bit onto another piece of potato chip before continuing. "I didn't play."

"Did Akashi-kun tell you not to play?" Kuroko asked, speculating that it was a certain red headed emperor's doing. The giant miracle gave him a small nod.

"Eh? Who's that and why wouldn't he let him play?" Furihata wondered.

"Akashi-kun was the former captain of the Generation of Miracles. He goes to Rakuzan now," the shadow said, and everyone mulled silently in either surprise or recognition.

"Ne, you won't mind if I take Muro-chin with me now since this game is over, right?" Murasakibara asked, licking his fingers. He started to lead Himuro off the court and looked at Tomoko with an expecting stare, "Let's go eat cake, Tomo-chin~ Your brother can come too, I guess."

"Like hell I'll go!" Ichirou raised a brow and pulled the caramel haired girl behind him, shielding her away, "And Tomoko isn't going anywhere with you!"

"But she _promised._"

The court was already silent, but with Murasakibara's threatening tone hanging in the air, no one dared to even breathe loudly. The two males glared at each other, neither were letting up.

"Wait a second," Kagami finally cut in and demanded as his hand gripped onto the miracle's shoulder. "I can't allow you to barge in and leave like that. Stay and play!"

_Kagami?!_ Furihata and Fukuda was shocked that the redhead was going to pick another fight with the giant.

_I just can't keep my mouth shut with a member of the Generation of Miracles in front of me! _Kagami narrowed his eyes as Murasakibara turned around to look at him. _Besides, I won't let him interfere with my game against Tatsuya! _

Murasakibara bent down to get on his level and pointed at his eyebrows. Kagami stood his ground, though he wasn't sure what the giant was going to do. Suddenly, he felt a jolt of pain as a portion of his eyebrows was forcibly ripped off.

"What's wrong with your eyebrows? Why are they split into two?" Murasakibara asked with long strands of red hair between his fingers, examining it.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" Kagami shouted in pain, touching the skin that was now red and tender.

"They're so long it's kind of gross."

"Are you listening to me?!"

"Kuro-chin, tell your friend to stop screaming in my ear. He's annoying," Murasakibara called casually, letting the hairs go with a gust of wind. That pissed off Kagami even more.

"Play me! I'm gonna to beat you so hard!"

"I don't want to, it's tiring."

Furihata blinked from the sidelines, both confused and amused by the bickering teens. "He's not what I expected..."

"Yeah," Fukuda agreed with an incredulous expression. "He's weird." _And he's so clingy towards Okuma-chan!_

"When it comes to everything besides basketball, he's got a screw loose," Kuroko explained. "You occasionally see athletes like him... While he possesses great talent in one area, he's completely incompetent at everything else."

"So he's an idiot...?" they wondered.

"I agree that he can be a bit of an airhead..." Tomoko piped up with Number 2 in her arms. She grinned, "But I met Mura-kun when I was staying at Ichi-nii's in Akita, and he was really sweet! I don't know why Ichi-nii doesn't like him though."

"That's because he's exactly that: an idiot," Ichirou huffed. "He acts like a little kid."

_A little kid?_ Kagami, overhearing their conversation, suddenly got an idea to make the miracle stay and play the game. He started to chuckle tauntingly, "Wow, I'm so disappointed! I didn't expect you to be _such_ a coward... It's _soooo_ lame that you're running away."

Furihata and Fukuda nearly dropped their shit. _Why are you provoking him, Kagami?! Stooping so low... Even Murasakibara wouldn't fall for that!_

Hearing the redhead's taunt, Murasakibara stopped ignoring him and turned around with a childish glare. "What? I'm not running away."

_He actually got him?!_

"I understand if you're scared to go against me," Kagami continued to boast with taunt, "don't push yourself too hard!"

"I'm not pushing myself too hard. I'm not scared either," Murasakibara pouted angrily. Making up his mind to prove it, he stomped over to Tomoko and handed her his bag of snacks. "Tomo-chin, hold this for me. I'm going to play that stupid guy with the weird eyebrows and then we can go."

"Oh," Tomoko blinked before flashing him a sweet smile. "Okay!"

"So..." the announcer sighed with exasperation, relieved that things could move along again. "The match is back on!"

The teams got back into their lines, and this time Murasakibara was standing on the opposite end of Seirin with a blue uniform on. His towering presence still intimidated Furihata and Fukuda a little, and they could only be glad that he was facing off Kagami.

"Let the game begin!" the referee called with a basketball in hand. Kagami stepped up towards Murasakibara and smirked provokingly.

"Baka! Murasakibaka!"

"I know you are, but what am I?" the giant bit back.

"That's enough, Kagami," Teppei scolded lightly, pushing the redhead back. He sighed. "Because of our positions, I'm the one who'll face off against him. You can't take both of them on yourselves," he inclined his head towards Himuro to remind him. "You've got _him_."

Kagami's eyes narrowed excitedly, "You're right."

"Huh?" Murasakibara raised his brows in confusion, looking around before his violet eyes landed on the second-year. "Then my opponent will be..."

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Teppei greeted. "I haven't seen you since middle school."

"...Who are you?"

"Ah, you don't remember me?"

The giant had his head tilted up so he was looking down on Teppei with an uninterested expression. "Did we play against each other in middle school? Hm. I don't bother to remember weak players."

Tomoko frowned from the sidelines as she heard the two center's short conversation. Her salmon eyes shifted towards Kuroko and saw that he was looking at them as well with a knowing frown.

_Is this what Mura-kun is really like in basketball?_

.

_twenty-three_

**actions speak louder than words**

.

Once the referee threw the ball up, Kagami and Murasakibara jumped to fight for the first touch. However, unlike Kagami, Murasakibara didn't seem too into it and his jump was lax. He still jumped higher, but the ball was directed away from underneath.

_Hm? He actually got it... _

"Team Seirin takes the ball!"

While Fukuda was in possession of the ball and was ready to toss it to Furihata, Kuroko and Teppei exchanged a meaningful glance. If the giant says that he can't remember weak players, then they'll just have to show him their strength.

"Kuroko..."

The shadow nodded at the center. "I understand. Actually, his attitude made me a little angry, too."

With a toss from Furihata, Kuroko got into position and slammed his palm on the ball and ignite-passed into Teppei's awaiting hand. The usual awes and whispers erupted within the crowd as people mused over the fast pass that seemed to have come out of nowhere.

_Ouch!_ Teppei thought internally, gritting his teeth as he caught the ball and dunked it into the net. _What an amazing pass... I definitely can't keep catching these forever!_

"Seirin scores and takes the lead!"

"That pass... That dunk... How amazing!"

"What a pass..." Ichirou, for once, was in awe as well. He had never seen a pass like that in the years that he played basketball. _This generation of players is something else!_

Tomoko grinned at the older Okuma, "That's Tetsuya-kun's Ignite pass! Because of his low presence, he is able to misdirect the ball anywhere around the court, and passes like that one is very hard for others to catch regularly," she explained. "Though, Tetsuya-kun has been expanding his scope to more than just passing. He's going to be unstoppable at the Winter Cup!"

"You speak highly of that shorty," he commented with pursed lips. It wasn't just Kuroko, though. Numerous times, Ichirou has heard his sister talk about her basketball team and even the opposing teams they faced with so much pride and respect. His sister can really be passionate about the things she admire, and that hasn't changed since she was a child.

_She's just like him, _he chuckled to himself as he remembered someone from his and Tomoko's past.

"Don't you think he's awesome though, Ichi-nii?"

Ichirou was pulled back from his thoughts and he blinked, "...That doesn't mean I approve of him!" he sniffed defensively. "So don't think about dating that shorty! There's only one person that's allowed to marry you and that's—"

"Wait, marrying? What are you talking about?" Tomoko tilted her head in question, thinking that he was going off on random tangents again before a lopsided grin surfaced on her face when she realized what person her brother was talking about. "Oh! Ichi-nii, that was make believe and I was seven!" she said in-between light giggles.

"So?" Ichirou retorted, grinning as well. As a child, he had reluctantly played the pastor and married his precious seven-year-old sister off to her childhood friend. After a great deal of compromises, conditions, and a lot of warming up, he finally allowed the little boy the title of kid-husband. It has been a while since then, but Ichirou loved to bring it up as a reminder that it takes _a lot_ of coaxing and convincing for a boy to even attempt his way into his sister's life.

"That was fun times~" he heard her sigh contently by his side and he nodded as well.

"Yeah, sure was."

Suddenly, a gust of chilly wind blew past the area and Ichirou looked up to see that the sun was partially covered by suspicious grey clouds. "...Weird, I thought it was going to be sunny today."

"Hm?" Tomoko glanced up at the sky as well. It _was_ getting a little gloomy.

"Look! He's going for a shot!"

The siblings' attention was directed back to the game when someone shouted that Himuro was in possession of the ball. Oddly, Murasakibara was staying behind by his team's basket, working as defense alone while the other four were on offense.

Himuro and Kagami were currently in a short face-off as one tried to get past the other and the other trying to defend from the former's jump shot. Himuro was faster than the redhead by just a slight margin and aimed for the basket—it was like time stood still for the soaring ball as everyone in the audience could clearly see it spiral gracefully all the way towards the net.

Players on both teams where entranced from the display. It wasn't long before Teppei stepped out and called for Furihata to restart.

"Woah! Even the commentators are speechless! What a beautiful shot!" the announcer commented as the teams reformed and got back into action.

"That was so smooth!" Tomoko watched, wide-eyed with her brother. _His shots are as graceful as Midorima-kun's!_

_He transitioned from his setup to his shot so smoothly, it was clearly a condensed practice shot,_ Teppei thought as he ran behind the team.

The sky darkened and rumbled before raindrops started to come down on the players. However, the game was still in action and Fukuda passed the ball to Kuroko upon request. The shadow immediately shot it at Kagami at the other end and the redhead took off. They definitely weren't going to just stand there, not after Himuro's display!

"A fast break?!"

"You better watch out, Murasakibara!" Kagami shouted as he reached the giant guarding under the net.

"You're smothering me. Don't be so zealous," Murasakibara droned in a bored tone. His pulled his hands out from his pockets and a creepy smile stretched across his face as he looked down on Kagami. "It makes me want to crush you."

_This guy... He's trouble!_ Kagami thought as he tried to think of a way to move around the giant center. He was so big and imposing that there was nowhere to go...

Before Kagami can even make a move, however, the rain started to pour down heavier. The announcer called for a suspension to the game and requested for the players and onlookers to take cover.

* * *

"We can stop here today!"

Hearing Riko blow her whistle, the second-years came running back to her, panting. "Good work!" the team shouted out of habit. They worked more on endurance today, so they were glad to take a break. Practice went as usual...

"Say, why are we practicing normally?!" Koganei realized.

"Huh?" Riko suddenly blinked in realization as well, a sheepish chuckle leaving her lips. "Hah... I was watching you guys practice on your own, and out of habit I..." she let her sentence trail off as the guys huffed from exhaustion.

"Man, I'm drenched in sweat!"

"Yeah, I'm going to go change," Izuki nodded, wiping his forehead before walking over to the locker room with Hyuuga and the others in tow.

"We didn't get the day off at all..."

_Even so, wiling to play on their day off... Basketball comes naturally to all of them now. __Having such a tremendous loss under their belts really trained them to be mentally stronger. All in all, they're completing their previous training better than they were before. They're definitely improving little by little, _Riko smiled, humming as she checked her phone for the time. The guys ended up staying far later than they said they were. It was almost five now.

"Huh? What?!"

"W-What are you doing here? What's wrong?"

Riko looked up from her phone; just outside the gym doors stood the pink haired manager from Touou, and she was soaked to the bone by the pouring rain.

"Um, is Tetsu-kun here?" Momoi asked meekly, her head down. They could all hear a strangled whimper from her voice.

"Eh, n-no, not right now..." Hyuuga replied. Koganei and Izuki whispered their concerns and questions quietly as the rest crowded around the girl with worry...

But really, Riko could tell even from where she was standing that these perverted boys were busy staring (or trying _not_ to stare) at a _certain_ area. Her eye twitched with annoyance as she marched over to the group and gave them all a good slap on the head.

"I'll tell Kuroko-kun and the rest to come back," Riko smiled, motioning for the soaked girl to follow her. "For now, get yourself dry with a towel and I'll lend you a t-shirt. We can talk after that."

Momoi nodded with tears lingering in her eyes. She took a clean towel and a pink shirt with a bear design on the front from the brunette coach and went into the bathroom to change.

Just before she left, though, Hyuuga caught a glimpse of the shirt and recognized it right away. If he remembered, that shirt fitted Riko just right, so if the pink haired manager were to wear that...

"Isn't coach's shirt too small for Momoi-san?" Koganei whispered while trying to discreetly motion at his chest area.

"You noticed too?" Hyuuga quivered. Everyone else soon caught on and a small blush spread across their faces as they imaged how the busty manager would look in a tight shirt.

"Hyuuga," Riko called cheerfully from behind.

_C-Crap! _

"You guys are going to change because you're all sweaty, right?" she asked. They nodded their heads vigorously.

"Ah! W-We'll get going then!" Hyuuga chuckled nervously as he rubbed his head. _Maybe she didn't hear us after all! _

The coach gave them a wide grin, and they immediately knew then that they have been caught. If Izuki could speak right now without fearing that he'd be dragged to hell and back, he might have said that they were busted with a 'B'...

"Before you do that, go run laps outside."

"B-But it's raining..." Hyuuga gulped, his protest weak against Riko's smiling face.

"It's a great way to rinse off! Now _go_."

* * *

The rain continued to pour down on the court, and it looked like it wasn't going to let up anytime soon. The host of the tournament was soon forced to call off the last match and told everyone stay out of the rain.

"We'll just have to settle this on a later date," Himuro walked up to Kagami and apologized. The latter was still gripping the ball fiercely with a frown on his face.

"But we haven't finished our—!"

"I want to keep playing, too," the Yosen second-year replied while shaking his head. "However, this rain is too strong. It's dangerous to play basketball on a slippery court... Besides, you wouldn't want your senior to re-injure himself, would you?" he motioned towards Teppei.

Team Seirin was surprised that he knew about Teppei's injury, but they said nothing as he and Kagami continued to converse. Meanwhile, Murasakibara walked back up to Tomoko.

"You're getting wet, Tomo-chin... And my snacks too," he mumbled, ignoring Ichirou's glare as he pulled the girl and the bag of snacks under an empty tent. He dug inside the bag to pull out a packet of Nerunerunerune and complained about the weather. "I hate rain..."

"Me too," Tomoko sighed. "I really wanted to see you play today, Mura-kun."

Murasakibara hummed, opening the colorful packet and swirled the stick around the sweet gooey paste before putting in his mouth. The giant didn't say much more as he watched his Yosen friend show Kagami a special trick he possesses.

"I'm happy that I finally got to see you, Taiga," Himuro said, taking the ball Kagami threw at him and turned to the net. "I'll leave you a gift. It's a technique you don't know about... Here, defend however you like."

The redhead got into a defensive stance as he eyed his childhood friend's movements. He realized that Himuro was just going for a regular jump shot and took off in sync to stop it. It was going to be a fairly easy block...

But the ball somehow went _through _his hand and made it into the basket.

_He passed my block?! But I timed my jump perfectly!_

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Himuro said after the short silence. "If we meet again..."

"It'll be this winter," Teppei replied. "Next time, we'll play in our uniforms."

"You still haven't learned your lesson," Murasakibara commented almost to himself. He was really annoyed with people who try so hard at something they simply don't have a chance at... He remember the second-year lost so bad back in junior high, yet it looks like he _still_ hasn't given up. "I beat you so hard last time."

"Next time will be different," the second-year only smiled.

"What an eyesore," Murasakibara looked away. When his eyes trailed back to the girl besides him, he wondered why she was frowning at him. "Tomo-chin, what's wrong?" He was even more confused when Kuroko was, too. "Kuro-chin?"

"Murasakibara-kun, do you still find basketball boring?" Kuroko asked. The giant immediately narrowed his eyes.

"If you keep talking about that, I'll even crush you, Kuro-chin. I don't know what it's like to have fun. It is not enough that I like winning and I'm good at it?"

Tomoko found his words extremely dampening and she wondered why someone with so little passion for a sport could even be motivated to play regularly. Well, she guessed that Murasakibara wasn't exactly _motivated_...

But doesn't he feel anything when he played with his teammates? His friends?

"Mu—" she started to say, but didn't get to as she suddenly found the sticky pineapple-flavored paste in her mouth. Murasakibara's violet eyes bore into her salmon ones.

"If Tomo-chin starts saying something like that too, I'll get really angry," he said before pulling the candied stick out from her mouth. He swirled some more paste and popped it back into his own mouth. He patted Tomoko's head, "I have to take Muro-chin back now... So we'll have the cake you promised me next time, okay? And also..." he turned his back to her and Kuroko and gave them a small wave before following Himuro off the court with his stuff.

"If you guys have anything to say, I'll hear it at the Winter Cup."

With that, the two players from Yosen left team Seirin with a challenge for another date.

"...As annoying and childish as that kid is, I know a threat when I hear one," Ichirou said as the team also grabbed their belongings to leave. He raised his brows at Kuroko, "That was a harsh greeting he gave you back there, shorty."

"Yeah, do you two not get along?" Kagami asked, still disappointed because he couldn't properly play his childhood friend or the Generation of Miracles' center. There was _beep_ from his phone and he opened the message from the coach. "Huh, also, coach wants us to come to school right away."

"We should head back then," Kuroko replied, picking up Number 2 to tuck the pup safely inside his gym bag before answering the redhead's question. "Murasakibara-kun and I got along fine in middle school. If anything, I like him and we're friends. We just don't get along as athletes."

Passing the players umbrellas she bought from a nearby stand and dry towels, Tomoko frowned as she heard the shadow's comment. She could speculate why; Murasakibara was easy-going as a person, but the air of disregard for players he thought inferior when he was on the court was downright scary. Kuroko continued as the team started to make their way to the train station.

"He does not like basketball; however, he is extremely good at it. Even if he didn't care about it, he still became an overwhelmingly strong center and he believes that it doesn't matter if he liked it as long as he's talented. That's why our views differ and we do not get along in that sense. Being a prodigy, he hates players who like the game but aren't very good..." Kuroko explained as the rain danced rhythmically on top of their umbrellas. "It's true that you cannot win just because you love the game, but you can work hard because you do, and when you win, you're happy from the bottom of your heart. That's why I like basketball, and I like Seirin because everyone loves basketball."

The sincerity of his words caused a warm feeling to glow within each player's hearts, and a thoughtful look stretched across Tomoko's features.

"We'll be facing Yosen this winter, won't we? I don't believe that Mura-kun actually thinks nothing of basketball and only plays because he's good at it... So," she looked at her teammates determinedly, "let's bring out his love for basketball... With Seirin's!"

The rest of the first-years soon mirrored the burning fire within the girl's eyes as Teppei smiled at their determination.

"Yeah, and I still have to fulfill my end of the promise I made with Tatsuya," Kagami's smirk widened as he looked at his partner. "The Winter Cup... Heh, we'll get there..."

"...Together," Kuroko finished with a nod. Number 2 poked his head out from the bag and opened his mouth with his tongue out excitedly.

"Arf!"

_The Seirin Basketball Team, huh?_ Ichirou watched them silently. He looked at his smiling sister; she really fit right in with these boys... And he was glad that she was happy with them. Although the other members were missing, he could tell that they shared a similar goal and were a great group of individuals. Tomoko's enthusiasm and cheerful energy was the key that will soon unlock many doors for the team...

_This generation of players truly is something else, _he chuckled to himself.

* * *

"You're not coming with us to the school, Ichi-nii?" Tomoko asked when they stepped off the train. The rain was slowing down to a light shower.

"I just remembered that I have to do something, so I'll see you at home," the older Okuma said before glancing over at Teppei and the others. "I'll have to meet the rest of the team another time... As for now, Kiyoshi-kun, I entrust my cute imouto-chan with you!"

_His sister complex is back!_ the first-years thought as Teppei nodded confidently.

"Yosh! Just leave it to me!"

Ichirou grinned confidently at the second-year's reassurance before then unsuspectingly pulling Kagami to to side, causing the redhead to yelp comically in surprise.

"Ichi-nii, what are you doing...?" Tomoko called, but her brother only continued to pull Kagami away from the group.

_Shit, what's going to happen to me?! _Kagami was sweating bullets at the older male's intimidating glare. "U-Um?"

"Don't get any ideas, kid. She's _my_ imouto-chan."

"What?" Kagami squeaked—he _really_ squeaked. _What is he talking about?!_

The older Okuma only smiled and pulled the redhead's hand into a crushing handshake as the rest of the group, or rather just Tomoko, tried to get an earful of what they were discussing about. "Good talk!" he shook Kagami's poor hand aggressively before turning back to the bewildered group. "It was nice meeting all of you! Keep those idiotic prodigies away from her, okay?" he said before taking the opposite direction.

Kuroko and Tomoko regarded the suddenly-winded redhead with confusion. Teppei, on the other hand, waved eagerly, motivated with the task given, and Furihata and Fukuda stared in amazement at how serious the two older males were...

Then again, their manager really was a trouble magnet, especially around the Generation of Miracles.

"I think Ichi-nii really likes all of you!" Tomoko remarked after a long pause. They had started walking towards their school. "He always makes a big deal out of everyone he meets, but he's pretty normal around you guys."

_That was normal?!_ The guys, minus Teppei and Kuroko, all thought. The older Okuma was still pretty dramatic with his blatant display of affection, but they supposed that he _was _less intimidating around them than with Muraskaibara... It was extremely possible, if the Seiho seniors hadn't stopped Ichirou, that some blood would have been spilled when the giant man-handled their manager.

_What was that threat, anyway?!_ Kagami thought to himself. Maybe it would be best if he didn't think about it...

"Why does Okuma-san keep referring me as 'shorty'?" Kuroko murmured besides him in question, the boy's expression downright dejected.

_Kuroko... Why do you look as if something terrible has happened! _Furihata cried internally. Tomoko grinned.

"That's just how Ichi-nii is. Think of it as an endearment!"

"Oh. Okay."

_Now it's like he just received a year's worth of presents!_ Furihata cried once more. Even though the shadow typically didn't show much emotion on his face or behind his words, it was obvious to see that his entire face had lit-up at the manager's reassurance. _I can't figure you out, Kuroko!_

Soon, the first-years and Teppei reached the gymnasium at Seirin. There was basketballs and other equipment out as if it was used recently for practice. But the sight that was the most puzzling and shocking was the pink haired beauty from Touou running towards them with tears in her eyes.

"Tetsu-kun!"

They all saw the shirt she was wearing as she ran. "T-The bear!" Teppei exclaimed, taking a few steps back as the sight of the stretched bear face bounced towards them.

"Momoi-san?" Kuroko wondered, being the only one aside from Tomoko who was not affected by the bear shirt. The guys gasped when Momoi reached for the blue haired male and knocked him down to the ground, curling up to him in a suggestive position.

_Kuroko, go die! _Furihata and Fukuda thought with envy. The door to the gymnasium opened again and revealed the second-years, wet from the ran and tired from running.

_What's going on?_ Tomoko wondered as Kuroko offered a can of iced coffee and shrugged off his white button-up for Momoi since it covered her up better

"Momoi-san, what's wrong?" Kuroko asked.

The pink haired girl sniffed, "I don't know what to do, Tetsu-kun... I think Aomine-kun hates me!" she said as tears welded up in her eyes again and she gripped the can of coffee anxiously. "Aomine-kun didn't participate in the semi-finals or final of the Interhigh..."

"That sounds like him," Hyuuga said, rubbing water out of his hair with a towel. "How come, though?"

"Injuries to his elbow, mostly," she replied.

Riko nodded in understanding. _Okuma-chan was right when she voiced her worry back during the Kaijo-Touou game._ "He must have injured it during the quarterfinals with Kise-kun and Kaijo, didn't he?"

"That's right. You may be a B-cup, but you are right."

"What does my boobs have to do with it?!" the coach cried as she covered her chest defensively. Instead of answering, Momoi continued.

"Aomine-kun was reckless when he faced Kise-kun," she said, her eyes downcast, "and he still wanted to play because it was up against Akashi-kun, but I asked Coach to pull him out. Coach forced him off the starting lineup halfway through the games, and he's been pissed every since... But now he just found out about it..."

_"Who do you think you are?! You shouldn't have done that!" Aomine shouted at her outside of the school. "Quit worrying and concerning yourself with me; you're not my guardian!" _

_"But Aomine—" _

_"You're annoying as hell! Don't show your ugly face around here again!"_

As Momoi finished telling the Seirin team what happened, Kagami piped up with puzzlement.

"Wait a minute," he said, "don't you like Kuroko? So who cares if Aomine liked you or not?"

"B-But that's not the problem!" her lips quivered as a new wave of tears threatened to come out. "It's different from how I like Tetsu-kun. I'm worried about him, and I can't just leave him alone... I... I..."

The team gave Kagami a 'now you've done it' look as Momoi started to cry again. "Look at that, you made her cry," they chorused exasperatedly. Tomoko shook her head at the redhead who was furiously apologizing.

"Guys who make girls cry are the worst, Taiga-chan."

"Didn't he almost make Okuma-chan cry once, too?" Koganei whispered disapprovingly. The others nodded.

"Really? I don't think Okuma-chan's brother will be too happy to hear about that," Teppei said, frowning at his junior.

"You lack delicacy, Kagami-kun," Kuroko sighed.

"W-Wait! I didn't actually—!" he tried to defend himself, but cold sweat trailed down his head when the entire room was glaring at him. _There's no way out of this! _

Thankfully, the attention was drawn off him as Kuroko went to console the crying girl. The shadow placed a hand on top of the girl's head and gave her a small, encouraging smile.

"It's okay, Momoi-san. I'm certain Aomine-kun won't hate you over that," he rubbed her head gently and she blinked away the rest of her tears. "He knows you were just worried about him. Let's go back together; Aomine-kun must be looking for you."

"R-Really?" Momoi whispered, and he nodded. She stood from her seat and buried her face in Kuroko's chest at his gentle words. "Thank you, Tetsu-kun!"

"See, that's how you do it," Hyuuga told Kagami, pointing to the two hugging teens. Tomoko laughed as the redhead besides her blushed furiously at all of the criticism.

"I-I get it, geez!"

Seeing that the problem was resolved, thanks to the shadow, Riko had something else in mind that she's been wanting to ask. Since the pink haired manager was on the same team as the other five miracles in middle school, she thinks that the girl may know the answer to her question.

"Momoi-san, I know why Aomine-kun didn't play in the Interhigh now, but do you know why the other two didn't?"

The pink haired girl lowered her eyes in thought. "I can't say for certain, but I know that Mukkun—I mean, Murasakibara-kun only listens to Akashi-kun and doesn't want to play against him."

"What about Akashi then?" Teppei asked.

"Akashi-kun... Akashi-kun isn't interested in the championship," she replied, leaving Hyuuga and the others shocked at that notion. "It's not that he doesn't want to win, but because his victory is assured. After his team beat Touou, interviewers asked if he could have beaten us more easily if he had played... Akashi-kun's only reply was that 'it wouldn't have been interesting that way'..."

_The Generation of Miracles is full of monsters,_ the team thought unanimously.

"That's all I know," Momoi finished.

"Thank you, Momoi-san," Riko nodded at the girl, her brows furrowed in thought.

Kuroko was sure everyone was wondering what kind of character Akashi was from the expressions on their faces. He had briefly talked about the former captain to Tomoko and Kagami before, but even so, they were surprised. It was typical of Akashi to say something along those lines; however, the former captain wasn't always like that...

"I'll walk Momoi-san back, then," Kuroko finally said to his team as he picked up a basketball. He headed towards the door with Momoi trailing behind him.

"Um, actually," Momoi suddenly turned back again and looked at Tomoko, "Okuma-san, would you mind coming with us too?"

* * *

Cars zoomed by the three teens as they walked under the well-lit streets. Kuroko was playing with the basketball in his hand as Tomoko and Momoi walked on either side of him. Number 2 trotted by their feet.

"Thanks for coming along, Okuma-san," Momoi smiled. Tomoko shook her head good-naturedly.

"I don't mind! Did you want to talk about something with me?"

The pink haired beauty blushed a little as she clasped her hands behind her back, "It's nothing, really! I just wanted to... Um, make friends with you... If that's okay?" she hid behind Kuroko sheepishly and murmured, "Tetsu-kun and Ki-chan and even Midorin are friends with you, so..."

"Momoi-san," Kuroko called to the girl gently. "You don't have to hide behind me."

Momoi chuckled nervously before suddenly feeling herself being pulled forward. The Seirin manager took her hands with a bright smile.

"Of course I'll be your friend!" Tomoko replied excitedly, "Tetsuya-kun's friends are my friends!"

Momoi's amaranth eyes lit up before bringing her into a happy hug. She was excited as well because now she finally has a girl friend who liked the same things she did. "Yes! C-Can I call you Kuma-chan?"

Knowing that the girl must like to give her friends nicknames, Tomoko nodded. "I'll call you Momo-chan, then!"

"Tetsu-kun! I made a new friend!" Momoi said happily to her crush. Kuroko gave her a small smile.

"That's great, Momoi-san."

"I'm so happy! I've never really had a female friend before," she said, skipping besides the two Seirin students with a thoughtful look. "If it weren't for Aomine-kun, I think I would have never met Tetsu-kun and the others either."

"You and Aomine-kun must be really close," Tomoko wondered. "And it's so cool that you know all of the Generation of Miracles~!"

"Kuma-chan's getting to know them as well, aren't you? You even got Midorin to be social for once!" the busty girl said with a sly smile reaching her face. "It was rare to see him out for other than his lucky items."

Tomoko blinked for a second before catching on. "Oh," she laughed, "well, that's not far from the truth actually."

"Whatever the case, Aomine-kun sulked the whole day because of it!" It was only speculation, but Momoi felt that her childhood friend was always more pissed off when the Seirin manager was paying more attention to others, namely his former teammates, and if the shoujo mangas were accurate, that sounded like a budding romance to her. "Is there something going on with you and him that I don't know about?" she asked, but what seemed to be right on cue, Kuroko accidentally dropped his ball and diverted the girls' attention.

Momoi went to pick up the ball besides her foot and handed it back to the shadow. "Here, Tetsu-kun! You don't usually walk while playing with a ball," she commented instead.

"...I'm training for a new technique," he said quietly, quickly recomposing himself as he took the ball from the zealous girl.

"Tetsuya-kun's been training _really_ hard for it!" Tomoko grinned. The comment about Aomine was completely forgotten as she told Momoi all about their training camps in the summer and Kuroko's own training for a new drive.

"That's amazing! I wish I could see it..." the pink haired beauty pouted as she listened with wonder.

"I'll show you, Momoi-san," Kuroko spoke up suddenly, leading the two girls towards a basketball court. "I haven't perfected it yet, but you can use it to make up with Aomine-kun."

"Eh? But..."

"It's fine. I mean to use it, and I won't be able to hide it from him until the next time we play anyway," he replied and entered the empty court. Tomoko gave Momoi an encouraging nod as she took Number 2 and stood at the sideline of the court. "Could you take a defensive stance?" he asked the former Teiko manager.

"O-Okay," she finally said, bringing her hands up towards her chest as her amaranth eyes watched the shadow's movements. She wasn't good on the court like she was at analyzing and assessing a player's moves, but if she could just predict what Kuroko was going to do next—

She felt a sudden gust of power as two glowing sapphire orbs flashed in front of her before the shadow player disappeared altogether.

_What just..._ Momoi's eyes went wide as she watched Kuroko, now behind her, dribble towards the net. _I have no idea what just happened... But if he perfects this, no one would be able to stop him even if they knew. This is..._

_An unstoppable drive! _Tomoko finished the Touou manager's thoughts. She looked at her blue haired friend with admiration. "That was amazing, Tetsuya-kun!"

"Arf!" Number 2 also barked at his owner's display.

Kuroko came back towards the two stricken girls, "I haven't showed this to Kagami-kun yet," he said with a finger on his lips to imply the secret, "but I'm happy that you two are the first to see it."

"...Tetsu-kun," Momoi was finally able to reply after a pause. She could barely recall what just happened before her eyes; it really was amazing! She gave him a smile, "You really have improved a lot since middle school. You're nearly unstoppable on your own now."

"I'm not hoping to do this on my own," Kuroko replied. He glanced at Tomoko before continuing, "I want to support my teammates and play alongside them."

Momoi blinked in surprise at his declaration, but soon a big smile made its way across her lips.

"Then... Let's play basketball again sometime," she told him before crossing the street alone, insisting that she can walk herself from here. "With everyone else!"

Kuroko smiled, too, as the pink haired girl waved goodbye to him and Tomoko.

"Sure."

* * *

_"I'm not that rough with girls! They're all just confusing!"_

_-Kagami Taiga_

* * *

**Please review! ^_^**


	24. What Lurks Behind the Door

I am floored to see that _Spark_ is just over 400 reviews and has more than 80,000 views! This kind of support really contributes to my motivation to write more, and here we are with 24 chapters already—! Please continue to support me with love/reviews, and I promise you all that each chapter will be more thrilling than the last. Thank you!

On another note, are any of my readers anime artists/cartoonist? I would love to see your take on what Tomoko looks like if you're interested~ Or, I can give you a description as well. Or maybe there's a particular scene that you love et cetera... Am I wishing for fanarts? Hehe, maybe... _/bricked. _

**Enjoy!**

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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"It's rare of you to call me out this late at night," Riko addressed the person waiting for her below her apartment complex. She looked up at him, "So what's up? Are you nervous because the preliminaries are around the corner?"

Hyuuga let out a scoff. "Of course not," he said, looking at the brunette as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He noticed the length, "Say, your hair's getting longer."

"Ah, yeah. I decided not to cut it until we're in the National Tournament," Riko chuckled. "Don't let my hair get long, Hyuuga. It's annoying."

She had let it grow as a prayer—a promise—to herself as well as letting it be some sort of reminder to her team.

"...Alright," the bespectacled captain promised with a grin. He looked up to the night sky; it was calm, much like he was for the upcoming battle. November 7th will be the starting mark of the preliminaries and it was just a blink of an eye away...

"I've done everything I can. The only thing that's left is to give everything I have."

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_twenty-four_

**what lurks behind the door**

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Balancing the spinning ball on his left arm, Kagami was able to perfectly maneuver it around his non-dominant hand with ease and was even able to show the team some tricks he's picked up during the learning process. No longer did he struggle with using his left hand; using it came as naturally as using his dominant one.

"You're getting pretty good with your left arm, Kagami!" Furihata commented with awe. The redhead nodded proudly.

"It's been easier to eat with this hand, too!"

"...Yet, you still can't sleep the day before a tournament, huh?" the brunette first-year pointed out, seeing the tired red veins running through the redhead's eyes. "You look terrifying as ever."

Meanwhile, standing by the other second-years, Teppei looked completely rejuvenated with a good night's sleep. If it was visible, the team swore they could see rays of sunshine and flowers emitting from the tall center.

"Why are you smiling like that? It's creepy," Hyuuga narrowed his eyes with disgust.

"Ah, sorry~ Don't let it bother you," Teppei smiled happily as ever, unaffected by the captain's insult. Besides him, Koganei rubbed his chin with a knowing chuckle as Mitobe glanced over to them.

"I know what it is, Kiyoshi!" he unzipped his basketball jacket to reveal the new design. "You're excited because we have new uniforms, right?"

"Huh?" Teppei looked down at his own uniform with surprise. "Are they really?!"

"You're telling me you didn't notice?!"

Riko sighed with a happy resign at her team's antics and called for their attention. "We'd better get going. Is everyone here?"

"Let's see..." Hyuuga looked around. "We're missing Okuma and eh... Kuroko—"

"I'm here," the phantom interrupted, startling the team as he came up from behind. "I've been here the whole time," he said, though he had to look away to let out a tired breath. Kagami immediately noticed it and pointed an accusing finger at him.

"You're lying this time! You barely made it on time running here!" he exclaimed, exposing the boy as he pointed to the sweat lingering on the boy's forehead from running.

Kuroko treated his revelation with silence.

"Silence?!" Kagami shouted disbelievingly.

"Enough," the captain said, looking around once again before facing Kuroko. "Kuroko, did you see Okuma on the way here?"

"No," he replied with a shake of his head. Koganei sighed as his lazy, cat-like expression stretched across his face.

"Ah, she's running late again."

Just then, the team all received a group text from the missing manager. Kuroko was the first to open the message and he read it out loud for the others.

"Tomoko-san said to go ahead and that she'll catch up after she gets back from the train station."

"The train station...?" Hyuuga wondered, but then shook his head. "Ah, whatever. She always somehow makes it in time, so let's go. We haven't forgotten anything else, have we?" he asked and the smirks on the faces of his teammates reminded him just the thing they were 'missing'.

_No... It's more accurate to say that we're on our way to go get it!_

* * *

Midorima was ripping the last piece of athletic tape from the roll and tapping it on his finger when Takao walked into Shutoku's locker room.

"Hey, Shin-chan," the ravenette greeted before looking that the medium-sized intricate wood carving of a brown bear with a salmon in its mouth on the locker bench. "Is that today's lucky item?"

"It is a carved wooden bear. I acquired it from my regular antique store."

Takao leaned down and examined the statue closer, furrowing his eyes when he saw that the bear looked familiar. "Don't you already have one just like this?"

"This one is bigger," Midorima replied curtly. "Plus it came with a salmon. Salmon symbolizes wisdom and overcoming all obstacles with endurance."

"Oh?" Takao smirked at the green haired miracle with an amused drawl. If anything, he felt that the bear and the salmon symbolized something—or rather, _someone_ else entirely. With a small chuckle, he turned back towards the door of the locker room. "Well, the upperclassmen are all here. Hurry up and bring that thing with you."

Midorima didn't say anything as his partner walked out commenting on how heavy the statue must be. Next to him, his phone vibrated in his gym bag.

* * *

Taking a short break from their practice, the players on team Kaijo sat around the gym floor to replenish some energy. Kasamatsu used a towel to wipe the sweat from his face and head as Kise handed him a bottle of water.

"Good work," the blonde said.

"Thanks," Kasamatsu looked up with an appreciative smile and took the water. After a big gulp, his expression grew serious.

"We still need to tighten our game. Now that our spot in the tournament's guaranteed..." the captain trailed off, noticing that the blonde was digging in his gym bag for his phone. He rolled his eyes, "You're spending your time texting people? I bet it's a fangirl."

"No, and plus Kuma-cchi isn't a fangirl!" Kise defended with a bright smile. "Besides..." he clicked on the incoming message from Midorima before his expression fell with dismal. The text only said one thing.

_First Kuroko-cchi, and now Midorima-cchi too?!_

"Senpai!" he turned to to his captain, who was in the middle of drinking water, and shouted with tears streaming down his eyes. "What does it mean when someone tells you to die when you wish them good luck?!"

Ticked off with how loud the blonde was being, Kasamatsu stomped a foot in the model's face to push him away. "The hell should I know! I'm sure it's exactly what it sounds like!"

* * *

_November 7th, huh? _They_ should be heading to the preliminaries right now..._

"Aomine-kun! You're skipping practice again!" Aomine could hear Momoi yell at him from the lower level on the roof and he choose to ignore her.

"Shut up, Satsuki. It doesn't matter."

Momoi pouted, "It does matter! Tetsu-kun's new technique—"

"Practicing won't make a difference," he sat up with his back still to the pink haired girl. A smirk appeared on his face as he remembered the Seirin manager's declaration of beating him. "The only one who can beat me is me... Anyway, our spot is already guaranteed. Go away so I can sleep."

"Aomine-kun, you idiot!"

* * *

Walking down the halls of Yosen High, Murasakibara toned in slightly to what the second-year besides him was saying as he sipped on his melted tube popsicle.

"A special bracket?"

Himuro nodded. "This year's Winter Cup commemorates some kind of anniversary," he read from the sports magazine. "The first and second place teams of Interhigh automatically participate. There are going to be more schools participating this year... In other words, your friends Aomine-kun and Akashi-kun are in the special bracket, while Kise-kun will be in the regular bracket along with us."

"Hm? You seem pretty fired up, Muro-chin," Murasakibara commented.

"Well, I didn't get to play in the Interhigh," the second-year replied, his expression soft as he looked at the pictures of the teams that contained the other Generation of Miracles. "I'm excited to play against Taiga and your friends. What about you, Atsushi? Don't you wish to play them?"

The giant center gave him a bored look. "I don't care for basketball," he replied and fished out another snack from his pocket to replace the finished tube. "But I'll get to see Tomo-chin again and she makes really tasty pastries."

"It looks like you and Taiga are both fond of her," Himuro smiled.

"Muro-chin, what do you think of Tomo-chin?"

"I can see that she's a genuine person. Why?"

Murasakibara didn't answer; he merely hummed in response at the older male's approval of the Seirin manager.

* * *

In an empty room at Rakuzan High, a male with striking red hair threw up a king piece and a pawn piece from his shogi board before catching it in his hand again. A smile lingered on his face as he left the brightly-lit room.

_I can't wait to meet your new friends, Tetsuya._

* * *

Tomoko sneezed once more. Rubbing her nose, she wondered if she was getting sick with the sudden sneezing episode she had upon walking out of her house and towards the building where Seirin will be playing their first game in the Winter Cup preliminaries.

_Eh, it's probably just the sun ticking my nose,_ she sniffed and walked on.

The reason she didn't meet up with her team to the game together was because today was also the day her dad came back from his business trip that required the Okuma head to leave their Tokyo home for two months. Her dad's arrival was before the game was suppose to start anyway, and so she went to welcome him back first.

Checking the time, Tomoko concluded that she still had some time to reach the tournament building before the Seirin-Josei game and paced herself accordingly. She had no doubt that Seirin will be able to come out victorious on this first game; they had practice so hard and grew in strength tremendously—and once today's games end, only four schools will be able to move on to the league series. Then, the top two will go on to the Winter Cup.

She believed with all her heart that Seirin will be one of them.

* * *

"Hey, where's Narumi?"

In the Josei locker room, the captain of team Josei, Kawase Yohei, looked around for a certain first-year player. A team member pointed to the back where Daisuke Narumi was focusing with heavy metal blasting in his ears and one hand clutching a gravure magazine.

Tsubuku, the team's power forward, looked at the first-year with an incredulous frown. "How does metal and gravure magazines help him focus?"

"Who knows..."

"Well, it doesn't matter that much," Kawase shrugged. "If it helps him play like he always does, then so be it."

"Anyway, how's Seirin looking?" Tsubuku changed the subject back to the team they will be playing today. The captain turned to recall what he gathered.

"They've come far with the addition of a big rookie. They made it to the championship league this year and the last, but that's as far as they've gone. The one to watch out for is their rookie, Kagami Taiga. He'll be out biggest problem, but..." Kawase narrowed his eyes. "Seirin has a fatal weakness. Their team is not that powerful; even their center is only a good player. In other words, their inside is weak. They don't have a coach, either. Well, actually, it might be that girl..."

At the mention of a girl, Narumi immediately perked up, dropping his magazine and tugging the earphones out of his ear eagerly.

"What?! A girl?!"

"...Just how did you hear that?" Tsubuku raised his brows in wonder. The first-year was never able to hear a single word they say when his music was blasting, yet as soon as a girl is mentioned, it was like the kid had super sonic hearing. Kawase chuckled as he led his team out to the arena.

"Let's have our own big rookie go on a rampage."

* * *

The buzzer that indicated the two teams to meet up on the court sounded and both Seirin and Josei walked out from their locker rooms. The area was filled with cheers and chatters from students of the teams' schools and basketball fanatics alike.

"Look at Seirin! They've sure made it far this year!"

"Josei was ranked sixth place in the Interhigh preliminaries!"

Walking down the court, Izuki glanced at the happy expression Teppei has been wearing since the morning. "Seriously, what are you so happy about?" he asked.

The taller male grinned, "It's just that I haven't been in a game in a while... I can't help but smile."

"...Are you going to be okay?"

"Kiyoshi," Hyuuga called from his side. "I understand you're happy, but you came back to win. We're counting on you under the net."

"Yeah, I know," Teppei gave the uptight captain a serious look to show his commitment, but his lips wavered again and the happy grin returned to his face. Kagami and Kuroko stared at the relaxed second-year in wonder.

"Are we going to be okay?" Kagami asked with a raised brow. His partner nodded.

"I think we'll be fine."

On the other side of the court, Kawase glanced over at team Seirin and did a double take when he spotted Teppei.

"W-What is _that_ _guy_ doing here?!"

His teammates paused and looked over at their surprised captain. "What's wrong?" Tsubuku asked.

"You know the Generation of Miracles, right?" The black haired power forward nodded.

"Of course I do. Why?"

"In middle school, there was another group," Kawase explained, his expression seriously dire. "In another era, they would have surely been recognized as prodigies. Instead, they are hidden in the shadow of the best. That guy's one of them... An indomitable soul who supports his team from under the net, The Iron Heart, Kiyoshi Teppei."

Kuroko smiled as he watched Teppei going about his own business. "I feel at ease with him on the court," he revealed to Kagami. "I don't think we'll lose."

_It's time..._ Riko thought on the bench after assessing each and every one of her players to make sure that they were in prime condition. _The new Seirin Basketball Team, start_—

"Hold on, Okuma-chan still isn't here yet?" Koganei mumbled from besides the coach, breaking her thoughts. She looked around and noticed that the manager really hasn't showed up yet.

The referee of the game walked up to the two teams that were lined up across from each other, signalling that the game was officially about to start.

"Where could that girl be?" she wondered.

"Let the Winter Cup preliminary game between Seirin High School and Josei High School begin. Bow!"

"Good luck!" both teams chorused, although, a certain first-year on Josei was crying silently. Seirin regarded him with stunned expressions as the captain of Josei stepped over towards the depressed male with worry.

"What's wrong, Narumi?"

Narumi swayed back and forth lifelessly, mumbling to Kawase like he had just been rejected. "You're so mean, Captain. Why would you do that?"

"Ha?"

"A girl. You said the coach of the other team was a girl," the teen replied as the rest of his teammates surrounded him. "I was looking for something bigger, something more exciting... But she's..." he motioned towards his chest depressingly before pointing an accusing finger at Riko. "She's not _sexy_ at all! Give back what you stole from me!"

The entire Seirin team froze in horror at the Josei first-year's loud and insulting exclamation. He was _so_ blatantly obvious with his woes that even a simpleton would know just what he was yelling about.

And Seirin's coach was no where _close_ to being a simpleton.

Koganei and Mitobe looked at Riko nervously. She didn't seem to react at first, and that was a sure sign that she was pissed. Suddenly, the doors from the arena opened.

"Did I make it in time?" Tomoko ran up to their team's bench. Looking around to see that the game seemed to not have started yet (though, she wasn't sure why everyone looked terrified), she let out a relieved sigh. "Koga-kun, why is everyone so quiet?"

"I-It's better if you don't ask," the cat-like teen replied shakily.

Tomoko was perplexed by the boy's aversion, but a shout from the court caused her to look at a tall and buff teen staring at her with a blush on his face. "That girl! She's cute and has the _curves _that the coach lack! Captain, why didn't you tell me about _her_?!" he asked with a renewed excitement, waving his arm around. "I feel my tension rising again! I want her after this game!"

_Shit kid, you're certainly going to die now!_ Hyuuga and Izuki watched as Teppei, Kuroko, and Kagami focused their fire at the Josei first-year. Narumi's not only released one beast, but _four_.

"Is he talking about Riko-san's...?" Tomoko trailed off and widened her eyes at the frantic second-year who nodded.

One look at the silent coach was enough to quiet even Tomoko down; their coach was surly going to unleash the brewing demon inside. However, Riko only smiled and patted the seat next to her, motioning for the manager to sit.

"Have a seat, Okuma-chan. The game is about to start~!" the older girl said happily before a dark and fearsome glare replaced her smile as she looked at her team expectantly.

_Go. Slaughter. Them._

The second-years immediately knew what she meant and nodded. Kuroko and Kagami didn't need to be told twice either; they were pretty aggravated that the perverted male had the audacity to demand having Tomoko after the game.

_You're going down, Josei!_

Kawase winced at the many pairs of eyes glaring pointedly at his team. _Damn Narumi and his loud mouth..._

* * *

"Who do you think is winning, Seirin or Josei?" Sakurai asked his senior as they made their way to the tournament building. Practice had just ended for them and instead of going home to rest, the captain and the apologetic shooting guard went to see the game.

"Who knows?" Imayoshi grinned with his usual expression that resembled a fox. "They're equally strong teams, but Josei is a terrible match up for Seirin."

"Eh? Why is that?"

"Seirin has a weak inside. In contrast, Josei's strength is their aggressive inside," the captain replied, thinking about the team's new center. "Their first-year center is especially powerful. It might be a tough game for Seirin..."

* * *

_They're double-teaming Kagami..._ Tomoko thought as she watched the redhead struggle to break away from two Josei players. It caused him to hold the ball for too long and it was slapped away by Tsubuku.

"White ball!" the referee called as the ball rolled out of bounds.

Kagami stomped back over towards Kuroko with an angry expression and the shadow tried to talk some sense into the angry teen.

"Kagami-kun, please calm down."

"Shut up! I'm calm!" he shouted. Hyuuga and the others looked at him skeptically. It was obvious that he was too ticked off at Narumi and being continuously double-teamed to think properly on the court.

_You're the furthest thing from calm..._

Suddenly, Teppei walked up behind the redhead and patted his head a few times. "Kagami, you look terrifying!" he said with a good-natured smile. "I know you're irked about what happened earlier, but lets take it easy."

"That hurts! You hit too hard!" Kagami shouted as he moved away from the second-year's large hand. He jabbed his finger back towards the perverted center from the opponent team and scowled, "That guy's gonna get it if he thinks that he can lay his dirty hands on..." he trailed off when he realized that he sounded just a little too much like the caramel haired manager's brother.

_Shit... Why the hell am I acting so protective?!_

Teppei merely laughed as he understood the situation and it made Hyuuga grow annoyed with his air of casualness.

"Kiyoshi! You shouldn't be telling people to take it easy!"

"Ah, but it's been so long, my instincts..."

"Oi!"

"Well, I should be fine soon. Give me a pass," Teppei smiled again as he waved for the ball. "This game is just getting started. Let's have some fun!" he said happily as his hand came down on Kagami's head once again with exceptional force.

"O-Oi, stop doing that!" Kagami yelped as he rubbed his head. _Slapping people out of the blue like the brat... _He then grew quiet as he thought about something. Kuroko looked up at him.

"What's wrong?"

"...Nothing," he replied, watching Teppei's retreating back. "I just noticed he's got huge hands."

Up above, where the two players from Touou just entered the balcony of the arena, Imayoshi grinned when he saw the No. 7 jersey.

"Oh, now I'm really glad I came to this game," he remarked, and Sakurai looked at him with a puzzled blink. "Watch Seirin's No. 7 carefully. His play is impossible to predict."

True to the Touou captain's words, Teppei was proving to be a strong match for the Josei center. It looked like he was going for a hook shot, but his arm twisted and the ball was immediately passed to Seirin's captain. Narumi couldn't stop it since he was already falling from his first jump.

Josei had the ball the next round, but Hyuuga was quick and stole the ball as Kawase was about to pass it to a team member. Hyuuga tossed the ball back to Teppei and everyone tried to predict whether he was going to shoot or pass this time.

_Which one is it going to be?_ Sakurai watched with concentration. He saw the Seirin center glance around before releasing the ball into the basket, catching Narumi off-guard once again.

"Look at that speed!" someone from the audience exclaimed.

"But... His moves are exceptionally slow, isn't it?" the first-year commented with confusion. Imayoshi chuckled.

"Kiyoshi is an unusual center with the passing sense of a point guard. The defense has to predict what's coming, so it's like a game of rock-paper-scissors. But holding the ball with those huge hands, Kiyoshi can change his choice when a normal person would have released the ball. Put simply, he can change his strategy after observing his opponent. It's a special ability he possesses called..."

"The Right of Postponement?" Tomoko echoed as she listened to Riko explain how Teppei's ability worked. The second-year didn't have to be extremely fast when he literally had the ball controlled in the palm of his hand.

Riko nodded. "Even if opponents can predict what he wanted to do, there's simply no point because he can change it so long as he has that grip."

"Kiyoshi-san is far from a technical center," Tomoko remarked, realizing just how good her senior was as his abilities were finally revealed. _A center with the exceptional insight of a point guard..._

"Yeah," Riko smiled when Teppei jumped up to block Narumi's shot. "Opponents always realize too late that Teppei's actually a strong center."

The game went on, and the ball flew across the court and Izuki grabbed a hold of it, his eagle eye vision quickly scanning around before passing the ball towards Kuroko. In a second, it went flying to Kagami.

_I've got plenty of pent up frustration!_ Kagami ran with the ball in hand, an angry and determined scowl present on his face. _I'll smash the hoop!_

"He's going for it!" Tomoko cheered alongside her fellow first-years, seeing the redhead launching himself up towards the net. "Go!"

"Is he serious?!" Kawase watched with wide eyes as Kagami soared above the air, his face parallel and inches from the hoop.

"S-So high!"

_Wait, he's too close!_ Tomoko and Furihata realized a second too late as the redhead crashed his forehead onto the hoop with a loud _bang_. They winced at the impact as he fell straight to the ground without making the basket.

The first quarter buzzer rang and signaled a two minute break. The score was currently 29 to 18 in Seirin's favor.

"Taiga-chan!" Tomoko called as Kuroko dragged the half-conscious male out of the court. "You can't head-butt the hoop..."

"..."

"He'll be fine in a second," Teppei reassured the girl with a smile and turned to the even-faced phantom. "Ah, Kuroko, do you need to sub out?"

"No, I'm fine."

Seeing that the redhead and her team was okay, Tomoko let out a sigh and brought towels and water bottles for them. They took it thankfully and was already making battle plans with Riko for new strategies to apply in the next quarter. She beamed at her team brightly.

_Without a doubt, the strength of the new Seirin Basketball Team has been unleashed!_

* * *

"Nice rebound!"

Seirin and Josei were well into the fourth quarter and the score between them were steadily pulling apart in Seirin's favor. The crowd watched in awe; it didn't look like a match between Tokyo's third and six place teams... The difference in strength was obvious.

It wasn't that Josei wasn't good. On the contrary, they were very skilled, but Seirin just displayed the stronger upper hand in this game.

"They pulled away quickly," Imayoshi commented as Seirin made another basket. The score was currently 53 to 91 in Seirin's favor. "The addition of Kiyoshi is a serious advantage. They've increased more than their offensive power. Their team is stable now, and in particular... Their rebounds are getting better."

Teppei once again jumped to steal the ball as one of the Josei members missed their shot. He passed it to Hyuuga and the shooter made a three.

"Seirin's inside isn't their weakness anymore..." the bespectacled Touou captain mused with a serious expression. Thinking back to the team that they defeated in Interhigh, the Seirin now was on another level. They were stronger physically and no doubt mentally. He smirked, "They've made it their strength. With a strong center, you can get rebounds. If you can get rebounds, you can shoot freely. Consequently, you make a lot of shots."

"They must really trust that center," Sakurai said more to himself than anyone else. His captain could only nod as they watched on.

Tomoko had noticed the two players from Touou watching from the bleachers and she couldn't have felt prouder as she cheered on her team. She promised Aomine that Seirin will be ready for him at the Winter Cup and her team was really showcasing the truth behind her words.

She looked at her seniors and Kuroko; Seirin was no longer the "rookie team" people didn't care to recognize anymore. _We're a force that they're starting to realize. Talking about a 'force'..._ Landing her bright salmon eyes on Kagami, she giggled at his fuming face. She could practically feel the heat and fire he was radiating since everyone else was scoring and he was still stuck being double-teamed.

"Perseverance, Taiga-can!" Tomoko called encouragingly, trying to snap the redhead out of his fuming state of mind. However, her words were left unheard.

"That idiot can't hear anything right now," Hyuuga rolled his eyes as the center besides him shrugged.

"Mah, it's good to be hot-blooded!"

"He's _over_heating," Riko twitched from her seat on the bench. She turned to Tomoko, "Can I burrow the snack you made today?"

The caramel haired manager took out the sealed container and handed it to the coach with a raised brow, confused on what use it could possibly serve at the moment. The older girl merely opened the container and let the intoxicating aroma of the snack—apple yogurt cake slices—do the work.

Almost immediately, Kagami's abnormally heightened sense of smell picked up on the aroma and he froze momentarily, giving Kuroko just enough time to fling his black sweatband at the redhead's face. Snapping back to his senses, Kagami quickly grew irritated and he glared at the offenders.

Riko nodded with satisfaction and handed the container back to the bewildered manager.

_Wow..._

"He's like a dog!" Tomoko laughed in realization.

"Right?" Riko grinned.

"Kagami-kun, have you calmed down now?" Kuroko asked the less amused redhead.

"What the hell! And what was that for, Kuroko?!"

The phantom stared at him with a deadpanned expression, not the slightest bit deterred by the taller male's angry face. "It's easier for the seniors to take shots because you're drawing all the defenders to yourself. You shouldn't pout about that."

That got Kagami to shut his mouth. He was helping the team after all... Just not a desirable way for himself.

"Besides,_ they're_ here."

Kagami turned around and glanced at the mentioned people. "Touou?!" he widened his eyes.

"Aomine-kun will surely hear about this game. Once you've calmed down, make a declaration of war."

"That's not something you do with a cool head! Che, but just leave it to me... I'll give them something to look forward to."

Back on the court, Teppei smiled. "They make a good duo," he remarked as Izuki came up behind him. The pun-maker's eyes lit up as he thought of something.

"He got Kagami fired up... They're a great match!"

"Oh! Good one!"

Hyuuga sighed at his team members' antics, though a small smile rose on his lips._ Once again, Kuroko and Okuma always seem to be able to level the atmosphere,_ he thought as he looked at the mentioned two. However, another defeated sigh left his lips when he saw Kagami get fired up for a new purpose. "Did you really have to mention Touou, Kuroko?"

"...Maybe not," the boy replied.

The ball was tossed over towards Kagami and he tried to breakaway. The crowd watched as two Josei players immediately came over to try and stop him.

"They're still double-teaming him! Josei won't let up!"

_It's not that..._ Kagami panted as he looked around at the players, _their spirits are diminishing and they're just continuing their initial strategy... But no matter how many they send..._

"He broke through!" Riko and Tomoko cheered.

"Defenders without the will to win can't stop me!" he shot through three players and made a mad dash towards the basket. Suddenly, Narumi pushed up besides him and tried to stop him.

"You haven't won yet!" the Josei center shouted.

Kagami smirked excitedly, "I'm relieved someone like you is around. But sorry, the winner today..." his legs pushed off at the free throw line and his body soared through the air.

"A lane-up?!"

_There's no way a high school student can jump that high!_ Narumi gasped disbelievingly as Kagami surpassed his jump.

_Now that's the Kagami we know!_ Tomoko grinned from ear-to-ear. "Make the shot!" she shouted along with her teammates as Kagami came closer to the hoop. She couldn't explain it herself, but one look at Kuroko's widened sapphire eyes gave her a good idea of the aftereffects of Kagami's action.

She didn't have any evidence, but if Kuroko had felt something at that moment, she knew that the rest of the Generation of Miracles did, too. The Generation of Miracles were named for being the prodigies of the decade... Their level of skill went unmatched to the rest of the world, and even if someone did appear to defeat them, it was said to only be in the distant future.

But she speculated it was the unmistakable sound of the door that the miracles heard. It was the door that only the prodigies could enter... Tomoko's salmon eyes didn't leave the redhead as he dunked the ball into the basket and at that moment, a chill went down her spine and she couldn't help but think...

Kagami Taiga... _He_ had forcefully pried that door open.

The buzzer resonated through the arena and the whistle sounded.

"Game over!"

* * *

Imayoshi got up from his seat as Seirin celebrated their victory with a group hug. Besides him, Sakurai also stood and gazed at the team with slight admiration in his eyes. The game ended with a score of 108 to 61.

"They're amazing. At this rate, Seirin might even make it to the Winter Cup."

"What are you taking about? They're still coming," Imayoshi grinned at the younger player. There was an unreadable expression tugging at his fox-like features. "The real monsters... There's a storm coming."

* * *

At different gyms around Tokyo, three other victorious teams were named.

With a score of 91 to 51, Senshinkan High advances to the championship league...

With a score of 180 to 45, Kirisaki Daiichi High advances to the championship league...

And with a score of 151 to 49, Shutoku High also advances to the championship league.

The four participating teams chosen for the league thus circled the web later on that night. The championship league will then determine the top two schools to represent Tokyo in the Winter Cup.

"The Winter Cup preliminaries went by in a flash," Furihata mused as he looked at the tournament bracket sheet in Fukuda's hand. "What a relief."

"What are you idiots talking about? We're just getting started," Hyuuga bellowed at the first-years. If they thought that it was going to getting easier from here, they were in for a surprise. Riko also nodded and gave them a stern look.

"Don't forget, only the top eight schools out of over 300 from the summer have been allowed to participate. In other words, the Winter Cup preliminaries began with the Interhigh preliminaries. It's one long qualifier that's been going on since this summer."

"Our first opponent in the league is Senshinkan High," Hyuuga added. "Let me remind you we've lost to them twice already. Let's win this time!"

"Yeah!"

_Our first opponent is Senshinkan High..._ Tomoko thought, toning everyone else out as a determined smile stretched across her face. There was a buzz from her bag and she reached inside to pull out her phone. It was a text message.

...

From: Takao Kazunari

To: Okuma Tomoko

_Heya! I'm not saying that you have to, but it would be nice if you can talk to Shin-chan~ He has this scary expression on his face and I bet seeing a text from you will make him happy ;)_

_We won btw! See you at the championship league~!_

(18:05)

...

Tomoko nodded to herself. _I _should_ congratulate Midorima-kun on their win today... After all, Seirin will be playing Shutoku soon! _She scrolled down her contacts list until she reached the green haired miracle and started to compose a message. As she was finishing typing, her two friends started talking to her.

"...Tomoko-san?"

Her finger was hovered over the send button when her attention was drawn back to her blue haired friend. He was looking at her expectantly. "Hm?" she hummed.

"I was telling you that Kagami-kun and I are heading to the outdoor basketball court. Would you like to come with?" he asked hopefully. "I want to practice my drive."

"Huh? Oh, sure!" she nodded merrily and Kagami clamped his hand on top of her head and steered her towards the court.

"Then c'mon! We'll walk you home afterwards."

"Ahhh! Let go of my head, Taiga-chan! You're so mean~" she pouted and quickly stuffed the phone back into her bag, unaware that she accidentally deleted the message instead of sending it.

* * *

_"Everyone's a rookie when they start out. How good they will be depends on how strong their will is."_

_-Kiyoshi Teppei_

* * *

**Aw, did I foil Takao's plan at being Shin-chan's wingman? XD**


	25. Win Some, Lose Some

**A speedy update... and... FANARTS! A big thank you to those who have contributed; they're wonderful :D You can copy and paste the links, but don't forget to take out the "dot", then add "." and remove any spaces for the links to work ^_^ **

By _Athium_: dinachuus-art dot tumblr dot com/post/148521698176/okuma-tomoko-aominekkid-i-hope-you-like-it

By _The Flightless Girl_: deviantart dot com/art/Okuma-Tomoko-626571172 _(her version of Tomoko)_ **AND **deviantart dot com/art/Dancing-Peony-s-Tomoko-626759717

By _TheParadoxicalOxymoron_: deviantart dot com/art/Cheerleader-Tomoko-625683067

By _TranquilNinja_: wattpad dot com/293991806-fan-art-oc

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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Aomine made his way up to his usual napping spot on the roof. He yawned as he reach the top, only to be stopped by a long pair of legs. He glanced up with disinterest, "Huh?"

"Aomine-kun!" Momoi had her hands on her hips and a frown on her pretty face.

"Satsuki, get out of the way. I'm sleeping now," he yawned again.

"Don't tell me to move! I told you we'd be going to see the championship league today!"

The miracle frowned as well. He was really sleepy and had no energy to go to a pointless game. "I've already beaten them. What's the point of watching them play? Move aside..." he looked back up at the pink haired girl briefly when he heard her sigh in defeat. Realizing that he was getting a pretty good view of the girl's underwear from where he was standing, he shamelessly pointed it out. "Satsuki, are those your lucky panties? You wear some crazy stuff."

The girl immediately took a few steps back and covered herself in angry embarrassment. "You pervert!" she shouted as she swung her leg at Aomine, but he skillfully dodged her foot while lifting himself up to the roof and headed towards his napping spot without even batting an eyelash.

"Sheesh! Aren't you even the slightest bit curious?" she glared at her childhood friend's antics. "Midorin aside, Tetsu-kun's opponent is the king of the west, Senshinkan!"

"King? That title's worthless," Aomine closed his eyes to fully bask in the warm rays of the sun. "Seirin will obviously win. The results are apparent based on their performances, so what's there to be interested in?"

"But..." Momoi pouted, still hoping that the lazy male would somehow change his mind.

"If there's anything worth watching, it's Tetsu and Midorima's match," Aomine said before twisting his body away from the girl. _That, or..._ But he left the conversation to end as that.

* * *

"So what do you guys think? This Seirin team should be pretty good to make it this far," Mibuchi Reo asked his teammates when they learned about the four teams chosen for the championship league. The impossibly-pretty shooting guard handed the piece of paper to his captain gingerly.

"Here, Sei-chan~"

"I doubt they're that strong," Nebuya Eikichi, the Rakuzan team's tall and muscular center, grunted from the side, peering at the paper himself. "Didn't Senshinkan defeat them twice?"

"Whoever they are, I'm excited to play them!" Hayama Kotarou shouted energetically. Since Seirin didn't make it to the top during Interhigh, the blonde never got a chance to meet the team, nor did he really felt the need to. "_If_ they make it that far this time," he added with a snicker. Unless there was a good enough reason for him to care, he was content with not finding out what his opponents were like until he faces them.

His reasoning was simple—it adds excitement for when he actually faces them off on the court.

Meanwhile, their captain, who had been silently staring at the team brackets for the championship league, had a unreadable smile on his face. "Hm, it'll be interesting to see Tetsuya and Shintarou play against each other," he murmured to himself, passing the paper as well as the day's training regimen back to Mibuchi before excusing himself for the time being.

The Rakuzan team looked at each other and merely shrugged at their captain's odd behavior. They have learned to not question the redhead; after all, he was capable enough to become the captain of the team as a first-year, and not to mention that he was a dangerous one to cross.

* * *

"...We won!"

Tomoko cheered happily as she ran up to her teammates, going in for the usual post-game hug. She was so proud of her team! With a score of 78 to 61, Seirin finally managed to defeat Senshinkan and pay them back for the two previous losses.

"We did it! You guys were so great out there!" she rambled on, a proud grin etched on her face as her team smiled back at her fondly.

"Amazing! They destroyed the king!"

"Seirin's really strong!"

On the other side of the gym, Takao glanced over at the celebrating team as he dribbled the ball between his legs. _Oh, they won?_ He turned back to his own struggling opponents, Kirisaki Daiichi. _This game's over, too. I'd like to say this is what we expected, but they didn't even give us their key players. Did they throw this game?_

The ravenette passed the ball to his awaiting partner. Midorima jumped from his spot and scored just as the buzzer rang. The audience looked at the score with amazement; it was kind of surprising that Shutoku was leading by _such_ a large margin since their opponents were known to be a strong team, but then again...

"Eh? Why is Kirisaki Daiichi's first string sitting over there?" a member on another team pointed out to his friend in surprise.

"What? Where?"

The two males looked over to Seirin's side of the bleachers and saw the entire first string lounging casually in the seats, watching the game instead of playing in their own. The five key players were watching _Seirin_ for some reason.

"Shouldn't they be playing Shutoku?"

"Guess not..."

Not really understanding the reason behind the team's logic, the two males went about to do their own thing again.

Little did they know, the captain and coach of Kirisaki Daiichi, Hanamiya Makoto, threw the game so he could analyze Seirin closely. There was a satisfied smirk on the second-year's face as he watched the team below shake their defeated opponents' hands. At the same time, the final buzzer for the Shutoku-Kirisaki Daiichi game signaled the end of the match as well and the score turned out to be 123 to 51. Shutoku's win.

Hanamiya wasn't the least bit worried about being defeated by Shutoku. Hell, none of the other four that was with him were; they were more nonchalant and disinterested than anything.

"We lost to Shutoku, but our remaining two wins have been decided," he mused to his teammates sitting around him. He looked at a certain person below and chuckled darkly. "We're done analyzing here."

As the five first string players of Kirisaki Daiichi made their way out of the gymnasium, a pair of glaring emerald eyes was watching them go.

"Let's go, Takao," Midorima grumbled as he passed by Takao who was drinking some water. _He's a talented player and Uncrowned King, just like Kiyoshi. However..._

"They did not do everything they could. What a disgusting game."

The raventte blinked and followed behind his angry green haired companion. He knew that Kirisaki Daiichi completely threw the game, but he didn't know _why_. It wasn't a good thing to see Midorima so thoroughly pissed at that team, either.

"Is there something up with you and that guy?" Takao boldly asked when he caught who the miracle was glaring at. "You don't seem to like him."

"He's an extremely unpleasant player," Midorima answered without sparing the confused ravenette a clear explanation. Instead, he looked at Seirin, the team Hanamiya seemed to be so interested in. _He's especially dangerous when he has his eyes set on something, or someone..._

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_twenty-five_

**win some, lose some**

.

As the Seirin team filed into the locker room to clean up, the celebratory mood faded from their minds as they focused on what's to come. Their next opponent will be Shutoku.

"Our next game is sure to be a difficult one," Hyuuga glowered from his seat on the bench as the rest of the team packed up their belongings. Just like Seirin has grown since summer, Shutoku was stronger and more dangerous than ever.

"But we have Kiyoshi-senpai," Fukuda started to say and Kawahara nodded in agreement.

"We're better than we were before! We beat them last time after all."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

All eyes landed on Kuroko once he voiced out his thoughts. He was sitting besides Kagami and Tomoko and there was concern evident in his eyes. "Our win last time is precisely why I think the next game will be difficult."

Riko nodded, pushing herself off the wall, "Kuroko-kun seems to have the right idea. Our previous victory was too good to be true. They're absolutely better than us."

Silence filled the locker room as the team took in the brunette's words. It was no secret that Seirin only won by a sliver during their Interhigh match. Kagami was pushed to his jump limit and had it not been Kuroko coming up right behind Midorima, Shutoku would have taken the win.

"But as the superior team, they aren't looking down at us," Hyuuga then said, his forehead creased with tension. The look that Shutoku gave him and his team before they left the arena was unforgettable—and it unnerved the black haired captain. "They'll be coming at us with everything they have. On top of that, we'll be facing a member of the Generation of Miracles... This won't be easy."

Fukuda gulped and took a step back. The truth was terrifying.

"Well, one thing is for sure..." it was Tomoko who spoke up as she stood from her seat. There was a grin plastered on her face, "We'll be trying our absolute best against Shutoku."

"Okuma-chan's right!" Teppei added in agreement. Right now, the team just need to brush off any doubts and disillusions they have about themselves and their upcoming opponent and just be prepared. He picked up his gym bag and swung it over his shoulder. "Tomorrow's battle is won during today's practice! We'll just have to work harder," he encouraged.

The rest of the team made hums of approval and filed out of the locker room with the second-year. They needed ample time to prepare for Shutoku and time was one thing they didn't have. Though that thought occupied their minds, they were fueled by the spirit of the team.

"What kind of new techniques do you think Shutoku learned over the summer?" Furihata wondered as he walked behind Kawahara and Fukuda. The two first-years shook their heads.

"They beat us at every practice match during camp... Other than that, I can't really tell."

"Whatever it is, we'll find a way to crack it," Hyuuga called from the front, drawing his eyes across each member before stopping at Teppei briefly. Instead of addressing the serious look on the center's face, he continued to walk.

A phone suddenly went off and the guys paused once they realized it was coming from one of them. Tomoko dug into her bag and pulled out the ringing device. "Oh, it's my mom," she said before answering the phone. As she talked, Hyuuga and the rest waited patiently. After a minute or two, Tomoko ended the conversation and turned back to the team.

"Something wrong, Okuma-chan?" Riko asked. Tomoko shook her head and smiled.

"Nothing really! I just almost forgot that I promised my mom I'd go to the corner store and pick up a few things for the house after our game."

"We can come with if you'd like," the older girl offered, looking at the rest of the team to get their consent. They all nodded in agreement but Tomoko declined the offer.

"Don't worry about it!" Tomoko assured. "I can get home from here so you guys go ahead."

"Yeah, go on without me, too."

"Eh?" Riko and the others turned to Teppei with bewilderment, but before anyone could ask for his reason, Hyuuga intervened and gathered them away.

"That's fine. Come on guys, we should go home and get some rest."

"Okuma-chan, get home safely, okay?" Riko addressed, following behind Hyuuga. She then paused again and turned to give Teppei her usual glare. "And you too, don't dilly-dally around like an old man and get some rest after this. Got it?"

"Yes mam," Teppei waved.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Tomoko said with a wide smile.

Kagami looked to be a bit reluctant to leave, especially since he sensed that Teppei seemed to be hiding something, but he also complied and left the two to their own business. Once the whole team left, Teppei turned to Tomoko and gave her a friendly pat on the head.

"I'll see you, Okuma-chan."

"Are you going to meet up with someone?" she asked, surprising Teppei and stopping his tracks. He looked down the side hallway briefly before trailing his eyes back to the caramel haired manager.

"Something like that," he replied warmly. "Hey, you should head to the store before it gets dark."

"Oh!" The girl took a peek out one of the windows and realized that it was indeed getting late. "Bye, Kiyoshi-san!" she quickly bowed and headed out, nearly crashing into a pillar in front of her.

_She sure is endearing,_ Teppei thought before letting out a small chuckle. Drawing his attention back to the problem at hand, though, his pleasant smile turned serious. He walked towards the sitting figure.

"It's been a while, Hanamiya."

The person he addressed lifted his head and revealed his face in the dim hallway. "Hey," the male greeted with such an air of friendliness that people would think those two have been friends all their lives. "I've been dying to see you."

But the calculating smirk that then stretched across the male's face said otherwise.

* * *

"Did Kiyoshi-senpai forget something?"

Hyuuga looked back at Furihata. They were outside of the gymnasium when the first-year finally spoke up. "Yeah, something like that," he replied.

"Is it about that guy at the corner?" Kagami approached the black haired captain and asked. He didn't think the senior would stay behind if not for that figure sitting there in the side hallway. The concealed figured looked to be waiting for the senior.

Standing besides the redhead, Kuroko seemed to recognize the person he was talking about and furrowed his brows.

"Oh, you noticed?"

"Just that he's pretty good," Kagami grunted. The captain sighed as his expression turned dire along with the rest of the second-years.

"Well, it's nothing to hide," he began. "In the world of middle school basketball, Teiko's Generation of Miracles were the best. Needless to say, they're the five prodigies whose stunning power led to three national championships," the look on his face was grim as he looked towards the gymnasium again. "However, there were other one year older. Five talented players capable of going head-to-head with the Generation of Miracles. If they'd been born in another era, they may have been called the Generation of Miracles. Including Kiyoshi, the five of them are known as the Uncrowned Kings."

Silence filled the air as the rest listened with awe. Kagami seemed to be in deep thought as he mulled over this new revelation. He always knew that Teppei was strong, but he didn't think the senior had that kind of title with him. And there are four others that are just like the Generation of Miracles...

"_That_ guy was one of them as well," Hyuuga continued. He did not look happy at all about that fact. "The Bad Boy Hanamiya Makoto."

"Bad Boy...?" Furihata looked confused. "But, if Kiyoshi-senpai went to greet him, they must be friends, right?"

The captain shook his head, "It's just the opposite. You can say he's the antithesis of Kiyoshi. If Kiyoshi's the most honest basketball player..." his brows furrowed in displeasure as a flashback resurfaced. "Hanamiya's the most dishonest."

* * *

The two second-years stared at each other for a short moment before one of the finally broke the silence.

"I saw you during our game. You chose not to participate in the Shutoku game," Teppei revealed.

Hanamiya didn't break eye contact as he took in the Seirin center's disapproving expression. "What's wrong with that?"

"I'm not saying it's wrong. I just don't like it."

"You're as honest as ever," Hanamiya chuckled. "How disgusting. If I'd played today and shown all my cards, that'd make all three games serious pains in the ass," he said with a devious grin. "I don't care about the victory right in front of me. You'll lose the remaining two games on your own."

Though it sounded innocent enough, Teppei knew the shady captain and knew that his words shouldn't be taken lightly. "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

The Kirisaki Daiichi captain disregarded the question and stood up, "Whoops, I've said too much. You're playing Shutoku first, right? Good luck then, I'll root for you." He slowly walked past Teppei. Just before he rounded the corner, however, his footsteps stopped.

"By the way, I hope your injuries heal soon. You shouldn't let your precious teammates worry about you so much."

* * *

Tomoko struggled to hang the multiple bags on one arm as she reached for the ringing phone in her shoulder bag. Her mom had texted her last minute and added a few more things for her to buy, and it turned out to be heaver than she anticipated. Quickly pressing 'answer' before the line went dead, the sound of her mom's voice came through.

"I'm on my way home now, mom! Yup, I got those too... Mhmm, see you!" she said as she walked away from the checkout line. The automatic doors of the store _ding_'ed and opened for the girl as she walked out, not at all paying attention to her surroundings while she stuffed the phone back into her bag.

"Ouch."

Startled, she realized that there was something—a shoe, to be exact—under her foot and jumped backwards. "Oh no, I'm sorry for stepping on you!" she cried and bowed to the person she stepped on.

"It's okay, I'm not that hurt," the person chuckled, his tone friendly. Tomoko sighed and raised her head to meet eyes with the person and he smiled back playfully. "Would you like some help?" he offered when he saw the plastic bags bunched in her arms.

Tomoko shook her head, "I'm fine by myself! It would be unfair to ask you to help when I'm the one who carelessly stepped on you."

"I wouldn't mind, Seirin Manager-chan."

"It's okay—" she then blinked, _Eh? How did he..._

The male chuckled again and lifted up his black and teal varsity jacket, "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Hanamiya Makoto, Kirisaki Daiichi's captain. You'll be playing us after Shutoku."

Recognition flashed across Tomoko's salmon eyes and her expression became troubled. She had heard about Kirisaki Daiichi losing to Shutoku, but only because the key players didn't show. _If he's the captain and he's here in Tokyo, why didn't he play?_

"You must be wondering why none of the first strings played today, right?" Hanamiya asked. Even though he naturally sported a mischievous face, his expression towards Tomoko showed sincerity. When the girl nodded in surprise, he sighed. "The players on our second string had been practicing incredibly hard during the summer to prepare for our upcoming games, however, they never get the chance to play. Now, as the captain and coach of my team, I couldn't let all their _hard work_ go to waste, so I gave them this game."

"So that's what happened..." Tomoko murmured to herself, her mind spinning with thought. Although she felt like the Kirisaki Daiichi captain threw the game, she couldn't oppose to the captain's wish of allowing all of his players a chance to play. _Though, he makes me uneasy for some reason..._

"...Am I wrong to do that, after all?" Hanamiya asked solemnly with something akin to guilt glazing his grayish-brown eyes. She snapped out of it and quickly shook her head.

"No, it's... Thoughtful. Even though there was a bigger chance at losing, you still let them play. Your teammates must trust and respect you a lot."

_Trust?_

"You can say that," Hanamiya chuckled. Internally, the devious captain smirked at her gullibility. _She's trusting, huh. _"Well, Manager-chan, I'm sorry for keeping you. I'll be anticipating our game; good luck with Shutoku."

Tomoko gave him a small smiled and waved, "I'll be going then. It was nice to meet you, Hanamiya-san, and sorry again for stepping on you!"

After the girl left, Hanamiya dropped his hand and finally allowed his sinister smirk to return to his face. _Heh..._ He was sure going to have fun with this one.

* * *

The much anticipated Seirin-Shutoku game finally came, and not even the gloomy clouds and heavy rainfall could deter the fans from coming into the gymnasium to watch the epic rematch. The mass of cheers welcomed both teams into the court, and without anyone voicing it, the question of which will be the winning team hung in the tense atmosphere.

"Seirin and Shutoku are here!"

"They're the teams to watch in the championship league!"

Kise Ryouta walked into the stadium at the same time as both teams filed out of their locker rooms. He spotted his former teammates as well as Tomoko and smiled. He couldn't wait to watch how this match will unfold.

Down on the court, the light and shadow duo were doing some stretches as Tomoko started to set up all of the necessities for the team. The girl glanced at the opponent team for a while before returning her glaze back to her own. "Midorima-kun looks intense today."

Kuroko and Kagami nodded tensely. "He seems like a different person now," the redhead revealed.

"The members of the Generation of Miracles we've played until now were undefeated and intelligent. They say some defeats are meaningful and losing makes you stronger," Teppei said while tying his shoes. He raised his head towards Kagami, "For living creatures, victory is life, and defeat means death. It's an extreme example, but humans retain that instinct. Those who know the terror of defeat..."

Teppei paused, and the team trailed their eyes to where Midorima sat. Everyone could feel that the aura around the miracle was different, and they knew why.

"To those who know, they hunger for victory."

* * *

On the other side of the court, the pure concentration and silent turmoil that Midorima was emitting caught Takao's attention. He had noticed that his partner has been like this since the morning. "What's wrong, Shin-chan? Are you scared?" he joked, "Or maybe you're just too excited to see To—"

The expression on the miracle's face caused Takao to shut his mouth. As stoic and uptight as Midorima was, the ravenette has never seen that look of hunger on the miracle's eyes before.

"Don't talk to me," Midorima ordered, causing Takao to gulp nervously. "I'm on edge. I don't have time for your jokes."

_They say starving beasts are dangerous... I think I know what they mean._

"I will beat them. That's all I can think about right now."

At that vow, the ravenette grinned, "Yeah, me too."

* * *

"They're not the only ones who've suffered a loss," Hyuuga said as he stood from the bench. There was a fire lit in his eyes and his team members all mirrored it.

"One defeat is enough for me," Kagami said with guarantee, "They're not the only ones..."

"...Who are starving," Kuroko finished for him. They looked at each other with determination and got ready to enter the court with the rest of the team, each stepping towards their positions.

Tomoko smiled when she noticed that this time, Midorima's eyes were trained on Kagami, as if one missed second will allow the redhead to disappear from his view. _Midorima-kun isn't looking down on Taiga-chan anymore. This will be a good game._

"Looks like he doesn't have time for you this round," Takao observed as he walked towards the shadow player. "Unlike last time, he's completely accepted Kagami as his rival. The rest of us feel the same way."

"I'm glad to hear that, but that's all the more reason we cannot lose," Kuroko said softly; his eyes didn't betray an ounce of his determination. Takao nodded and faced his opponent fully.

"Bring it on, then."

"The second championship game of the Winter Cup preliminaries between Seirin High and Shutoku High will now begin. Bow!"

The crowd roared as both teams bowed and the whistle blew. In the section where Shutoku's dedicated fans sat was especially loud with cheer.

"Jump, jump, Otsubo! Jump!"

Facing the Shutoku captain was Teppei, and he sported a happy and respectful grin at his opponent as they waited for the referee to throw the ball. "This is our first high school game," he said with determination.

"Yeah, and I won't go easy on you," Otsubo replied, returning the same fire.

"Kagami-kun," Kuorko called for his partner besides him, "Midorima-kun is looking for a one-on-one against you. You're the only one who can handle him. Can I ask you to handle Midorima-kun by yourself?"

As Riko had told the team, Shutoku would most likely play with the same strategy they used last time, so shutting down Midorima will be the key to their win. Like Kagami, there's a limit to how many long three-pointers Midorima could make since it required the entire body's strength. It was crucial to push the miracle to his limit. Kuroko understood that it had to be someone that was on par in strength and endurance, so Kagami had the best shot.

And this time, he was equipped with full ammo.

The redhead looked at the green haired miracle and grinned, "Heh, I planned to do that all along."

"Kagami..." Midorima challenged just as the ball flew up and his team captain along with Seirin's center jumped for the first touch. A loud bang was heard, but with the speed the two jumpers displayed, the other players and audience momentarily lost sight of the ball.

"That was so close!"

"Where's the ball?!"

"There! Seirin's got it!"

Thanks to Izuki's sharp eagle eyes, he was able to quickly pinpoint exactly where the ball would go and grabbed it before anyone else. As he got ready to pass, however, a hand snaked towards him and jutted the ball towards Kimura. There was not even time for Izuki to gasp at Takao's extreme location precision as the ball was already on its way to be passed again; but, he quickly realized that because Takao was with him, that meant Kuroko was open and was able to steal back the ball.

"Nice!" Riko and the rest of the benched players shouted. Their cheer was short lived, however, as Midorima stepped up and gained possession of the ball.

"Midorima-kun has the ball!" Tomoko shouted and that was enough for Kagami to appear right in the shooting guard's space as he prepared the three-pointer. The ball flew towards the ground.

"What?!"

"Alright! Nice block!" Hyuuga shouted.

"Out of bounds! Orange ball!" the referee announced, and the crowd went wild.

Koganei sagged with disbelief at the sidelines. Before this year, he would never have imagined that his team would be able to keep up with this kind of pace, but with the addition of Kuroko and Kagami, as well as the return of Teppei, he guessed that this was reality. It was barely a few seconds into the first quarter... "S-Sparks are flying already," he remarked in awe.

"I forgot to breathe," Furihata admitted, letting out a relieved breath.

_The difference is slight, but I'm sure Shutoku has noticed,_ Riko smirked from her seat. Up above, the blonde model who came to watch also unknowingly agreed with the Seirin coach.

_He's jumping higher than before._

"Don't think you can make any slow shots while I'm around," Kagami declared in Midorima's face. However, instead of replying him with any kind of response, the miracle simply ran past him. _What's up with him?_

As Takao waited for Kimura to toss the ball to him, he thought back to what Midorima had said to him at practice one day. He knew what Midorima was planning, and it was going to be useful in defeating Seirin.

_"Now that Kagami's potential has been fully awakened, his jumps are a terrible match up for my shots. No matter how many times I try, he'll block every last one of them."_

_Takao gave the miracle a wary frown, "Oi, what's gotten into you? It's creepy when you act weak, Shin-chan."_

_"Don't jump to conclusions, fool," Midorima turned to give him a glare. "There is only one answer..." _

After a series of passes starting from the ravenette, the ball finally reached Midorima's awaiting hands. He positioned himself and got ready to shoot, but with extreme speed, Kagami was already jumping forward to block it.

"Out of bounds! Orange ball!"

"Kagami's so amazing!" Furihata cheered. "He blocked Midorima again!"

While the benched members rooted for the redhead, Riko sat silently with wonder. Despite the block, this time she felt that something was off. _This isn't sitting right with me, why is that he's not changing the way he's shooting? It looks exactly the same. It's as if..._

"Either Midorima-kun didn't pick up any new skills, or he's not revealing something," Tomoko commented besides her, having picked up the problem as well. "Why?"

Riko furrowed her brows and raked her brain to think of a possible answer. "The only reason he'd continue to let Kagami-kun block his shots..."

While the ball was being retrieved, the two rivals stood for a stare-down. Then Midorima was the one who spoke. "Just so you know, I have no new skills. The only thing I've done until now is endurance training. You may be a bad match up for me, but don't underestimate me," the miracle informed with a positively dark glare. "My shots aren't so cheap that I need some kind of stopgap for you."

Suddenly, the brunette coach's eyes shot up in realization.

"I'm sure you've noticed, but I cannot take those shots endlessly," Midorima stated. "However..."

"Taiga-chan can't jump forever..." Tomoko finished after she picked up on what Midorima was telling the redhead. Riko nodded with a frown. "...And Midorima-kun is trying to deplete both of their energies to see who's the last one standing."

"Heh, so this is a test of endurance," Kagami chuckled after the big reveal. He balled his fists together and looked at the miracle excitedly. "Give me everything you've got."

* * *

_"I do not intend to lose a second time. You have the right to be worried."_

_-Midorima Shintarou_

* * *

**to be continued (on Akashi's appearance)...**


	26. The Limit Does Not Exist!

Another speedy update within the same month? It could possibly mean that I love you guys very much XD Please, please, _pleaaaaaase_ leave your thoughts/comments in a review at the end though. I love reading them and it makes me feel loved too!

P.S. Should I do a** Q&amp;A**? If you guys are interested, ask me a bunch of questions (about Tomoko, GOM, my thoughts, _Spark_, whatever!) and I'll answer them in the beginning of each chapter. I can do **trivia on Tomoko**, too!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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**_SPARK_**

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The first quarter of the match swiftly passed with Seirin taking a steady lead, but the challenge was far from over. The pressure on Kagami was tremendous as he tried to keep up with Midorima's movements to stop his long shot before he made them, and with Kuroko's misdirection and low presence wearing off, it was becoming increasingly hard for Seirin to perform their plays.

Midorima had also started to throw in fakes along with his long shots, leaving Kagami an even shorter time gap in which he could think and act accordingly. He didn't have Aomine's flexible and explosive power, so he had to be prepared to double the amount of jumps at all times.

_There's not always enough time to block again after Midoirma-kun's fakes,_ Tomoko pursed her lips, watching in suspense as the redhead tried to reach for the miracle's second shot. _He's not going to make it!_

As if sensing her concern, Teppei shot up in front of Midorima and prepared to block it. "You're not making this shot!" the second-year shouted.

Tomoko was surprised when Midorima didn't falter at the double threat and continued to keep his aim at the net. "He's not going to make it, but why..." her salmon eyes then drew to the miracle's side, where she was bewildered to see Takao racing up. Surely, she's seen this type of move many times before with the amount of times she's watched teams play, but... "Is he going to...?!"

Just as she speculated, the ball slammed into the Shutoku point guard's hands and it caused every one of her teammates to freeze with shock as the other players on Shutoku received the ball and ran towards the net.

"It's two on three!" the audience shouted. "There are fewer defenders now! They're completely outnumbered!"

While the whole arena shook with cheers, an uneasy feeling rose within each member of Seirin. They knew that they were in a pinch now that Midorima had finally unleashed what Shutoku had been planning.

"We no longer have an opening," Riko spoke grimly, her brows furrowed with thought. "Simple team play is not going to defeat Midorima anymore... He has stopped fighting alone. Now..."

"Shutoku is a true team," Hyuuga eyed every single one of his opponents. "They're more than formidable."

"No way... That means they don't have a weakness anymore," Furihata panicked, looking at his friends wearily. Fuduka nodded with a gulp.

"This is crazy! How are we going to defeat them?!"

"Don't lose your heads!" Riko shouted, halting her team's doubt. "Keep cheering for them. Shutoku isn't the only one who's grown."

Koganei brightened up and agreed with the coach, "That's right! Besides, we've got him now. He's great at a time like this!" he looked at Teppei with esteem.

With the short time that both teams have to re-group, Teppei was trying to keep up his team's spirits with encouragement. The situation they have at hand was difficult, but he knew his team would be able to pull through it.

"We're just in a bit of a pinch. It's not over," he motivated and smiled at his team. "Let's have some fun!"

Hyuuga huffed, "Yeah, I know."

"What are we going to do, though?" Izuki stepped up and asked. The two second-years looked at Teppei expectantly, and to that, the male went silent for a second.

"Hm... We'll come up with something."

"You don't have any ideas?!" Hyuuga snapped exasperatedly, slapping the taller male upside the head.

"That hurt..." Teppei winced nervously. He rubbed his head momentarily before a merry grin surfaced, "Well, we can start by benching Kuroko."

"W-What?" the phantom player expressed with soft shock.

"If your misdirection doesn't work, you'll only hold us back. I know you're doing your best, but you're more of a hindrance. To put simply, there's really no reason for you to be on the court right now."

"Tetsuya-kun's becoming invisible!" Tomoko exclaimed as Kuroko shrank. He seemed to fade lighter and lighter into the background with every blow of the senior's words.

"There, there," Izuki patted the disheartened phantom's back, "let it be, newbie."

"Shut it, Izuki," the black haired captain shot down. The buzzer sounded and he nodded towards Teppei when he saw Riko motioning for Mitobe to switch in. "Anyway, Coach seems to have the same idea."

At the order, Kuroko could only hang his head and head back towards the bench. Tomoko gave him an encouraging smile and handed him a towel. "You did great, Tetsuya-kun."

"Thank you," he said, sitting besides the girl. He relaxed when she squeezed his hand briefly.

"You'll get your time to shine, so don't lose focus," Koganei patted his back encouragingly as well. "Don't worry. Leave it to everyone else."

"I'm fine. If anything, this will make it easier to use my new drive. Besides," the blue haired player looked at his team. "I'm not worried. I believe in them."

Tomoko nodded and piped up from besides the boys, "We all do. This game's just getting to the good part. Tetsuya-kun, have you noticed? Midorima-kun's changed because of you, because of Seirin. He's finally accepted the rest of Shutoku as his teammates. However this ends," she grinned, "it's a victory for both sides."

* * *

The hard pats of shoes against the ground resonated across the semi-empty halls of the gymnasium; cheers from the audience could be heard just inside the opened door leading to the arena. Momoi rushed inside and allowed herself to give her legs and heart a rest.

"They already started... Aomine-kun's such an idiot," she berated the male to herself, "he didn't even come at the end!"

"Oh? It's Momo-cchi!"

The pink haired girl looked up to the voice to see Kise's handsome face beaming down at her. "Ki-chan!"

"Could you stop calling me that?" Kise let out a soft sigh at the girl's nickname for him. Momoi laughed.

"But you're Ki-chan~ You came to watch the game too? Did you come alone?"

The blonde scratched his head sheepishly, "Yeah. I invited my team, but they all turned me down. It's disheartening, isn't it? They're all so mean to me."

_I'm the one who should be feeling disheartened,_ Momoi thought with a pout. This wasn't the first time her childhood friend ditched her, after all.

"Well, since you're here, why don't we watch together?" he offered, and the girl blinked in surprise. He shrugged, "It's a little weird standing with someone who beat us, but we're both going to the Winter Cup. How about a temporary truce?"

_He said 'us', not 'me'..._ Momoi let a small smile break into her lips. "Sure! Anyway, how's the game going?"

"It's getting pretty interesting," Kise smirked.

Down below, Seirin was currently double-teaming Midorima to prevent him from making any shots. However, even though they're stopping the miracle, it left Seirin's inside useless; Shutoku was still scoring without Midorima.

Seirin was far from finished, though. With amazing speed, they passed the ball around the Skutoku players and made a quick score.

"They're fast!" Momoi widened her eyes. Not only that, but Seirin's center player was able to maneuver the ball at his will and debunk Miyaji's block with a pass to Izuki, who then swiftly made the basket once again.

_It looks different, but they're playing just like us,_ she realized. The way Seirin was playing was like they were scoring for themselves, but team play was still a factor behind each point. It was amazing; they were gaining back the lead without needing to stop Shutoku. Momoi's amaranth eyes trailed towards Seirin's no. 7, Kiyoshi Teppei. _Things have changed with his arrival,_ she deducted as she analyzed the players. _Seirin's inside has strengthened, and the passing cycle of the ball had sped up. They're faster..._

Her gaze switched to Shutoku's captain as he rebounded the ball when Izuki missed and focused on the captain's next play. Once the ball reached Midorima's hands, she knew that his shot was certain.

"It's Midorima's super-long three pointer! How did he make that?!" the crowd below the pink haired girl shouted excitedly.

"He's not human!"

"Midorin..." she stared at the green haired miracle; he was being given friendly head slaps and back pats from his seniors. On the other side, Seirin's power forward Kagami was getting the same treatment. It looked pretty painful to her, but she couldn't help but be warmed by the scene.

The buzzer then signaled the end of second quarter, thus ending the first half of the game. The crowd roared.

"What? It's over already?!"

"I hope the second half starts soon!"

"Wow," Momoi drew her attention back and mused at the response from the audience, "they're really excited."

"Yeah," the blonde besides her agreed.

"Ki-chan, how do you think the second half will go?" Momoi asked, facing Kise. The male hummed and closed his eyes in deep thought before answering. He smiled confidently.

"I have no idea."

Momoi sagged with exasperation. _You really are useless..._

"The second half will definitely be a point war. Seirin's at a disadvantage, though," Kise told her, this time with a serious tone. "Seirin has no way to stop Shutoku, but it's not as though Shutoku can't stop Seirin. Seirin will be the first to fall."

_That makes sense,_ the girl looked down with pursed lips. She then heard the male let out a short chuckle.

"Well, that's only true without Kuroko-cchi. He won't be able to keep his mouth shut," he said, looking down at the blue haired player on the bench. "The phantom sixth man of the Generation of Miracles is the real deal."

_Tetsu-kun..._

* * *

"Taiga-chan and our seniors are holding up pretty well," Tomoko said as the ring of the buzzer initiated the start of the second half. "We just have to keep scoring; Shutoku won't be falling behind."

"Yeah," Riko nodded, glancing at the scoreboard. It was 45 to 43 in Seirin's favor. She just hoped that Hyuuga and them will be able to pull the gap further. _We can't stop Shutoku, and they've probably studied our performance as far back as last year. If we have a chance at winning, it's Kuroko-kun's new drive, but if they pull too far ahead before we put him in, we're finished._

Watching the players run around the court and following their moves, Tomoko suddenly frowned. "I think we should watch Takao-kun closely. He always has something up his sleeve—" Just as she said that, Takao shot forward towards the seniors guarding the net; there were three of his own players marking them as well. It looked like the ravenette was going to make a pass because he's got Seirin trapped 4 on 3, but unexpectedly, he stopped right in front of Izuki and bounced the ball back between his legs...

Right towards Midorima.

"Don't miss," he was grinning happily. The miracle behind him scoffed.

"Quiet, fool."

"What was... That?" Tomoko breathed with wide eyes.

"A return," Riko explained, sighing as the ball flew into the net perfectly. She didn't see that one coming at all—Shutoku's cheeky point guard really did have many things up his sleeves.

_They're perfectly in sync, it's almost like they can read each other's minds,_ the caramel haired manager thought as her salmon eyes watched with admiration for Shutoku's first-year duo. "Eh?" suddenly, she had to blink twice at the green haired miracle.

"Okuma-chan... Did you see it too?" Koganei questioned; he was unsure of it himself. She nodded slowly.

The rest of the benched players looked over towards Midorima with confusion, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Eh, just now, for a second, was he...?" Koganei wondered out loud, trailing off disbelievingly for Tomoko to finish for him.

"...Smiling?"

* * *

"Midorin's changed, hasn't he?" Momoi said softly. Kise tore his eyes from the court and regarded her question with a raised brow.

"Really?"

"So have you, Ki-chan."

"Eh?" The blonde was taken aback slightly before he stuffed his hands inside his pockets and leaned back. He smiled, "Momo-cchi, you're the second person who's told me that."

"Second? Who was the first?" she pressed curiously. When he didn't respond, she followed his gaze down towards Seirin's bench and saw the person receiving his attention. Getting what was going on by the looks of his gentle golden eyes, she nodded to herself in understanding. "It's Kuma-chan, isn't it?" she giggled. "Did you change for her?"

Kise snapped his attention back and started rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He hated that the girl was so observant. "Anyway," he brought the subject back to the point, "are you sure _he_ hasn't been changed?"

The pink haired manager grew silent. Her childhood friend wasn't going to be easily moved; she doubted he would realize anything without tasting defeat.

"Since playing him, I've stopped thinking of relying on others as weakness," Kise continued to tell the quiet girl. "It's something you can't do without strength. It's not just because of Kuma-cchi... Seeing Seirin play taught me that."

"Ah," Momoi replied with a small sigh. "I hope he can see that someday, too."

"Yeah," Kise chuckled, turning his head to the side. A flash of red from the corner suddenly made him pause. He looked again, but his eyes saw nothing. Shrugging, he went back to watching the game.

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_twenty-six_

**the limit does not exist!**

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Shutoku has taken the lead. Neither team was faltering, but Shutoku's seniors were stepping up to prove their strength and scored repeatedly.

With only a minute left to the third quarter, Midorima gained possession of the ball and prepared for his long three pointer. Kagami went to stop him, but a shot of pain made him freeze involuntarily and that allowed the miracle to make the basket.

"His leg!" Tomoko cried when he saw the flash of agony on the redhead's face. His calves were twitching. _He's at his limit!_

_He's unbelievable. Not even Kagami and Teppei can stop him together,_ the short haired coach thought.

"Coach."

Kuroko's voice pried the coach out of her thoughts. She took one look at the boy's face and understood what he wanted.

"I think I can do it now. My new drive."

Tomoko and Riko looked at each other, and after a minute, the older girl nodded. "It's time," she said, waving down the referee to request the switch. The buzzer sounded and the players from Shutoku looked over toward Seirin's bench. They all had their eyes on Kuroko.

Tomoko set a hand on the blue haired boy's shoulder and gave him a confident squeeze.

"You got this, Tetsuya-kun!"

Kuroko nodded and stepped into the court. The hawk eyed ravenette walked past him and smirked.

_We still won't go easy on you..._ "That and this game are different stories," he said. "We've been waiting for you, Kuroko."

Meanwhile, Miyaji and Kimura watched the switch with incredulous expressions on their faces. "They're putting him in now?" the blonde asked, "I thought his mis-whatever didn't work anymore."

"They're not that desperate, are they?" his friend agreed, furrowing his brows. Midorima scoffed from behind them.

"If anything, it's the opposite. He wouldn't be coming onto the court now without something up his sleeve. He must have something."

His seniors nodded and watched the blue haired boy cautiously, trying to decipher what he would do next. They had a eight point advantage on Seirin, but with the unpredictable phantom returning to the game, they have to prepared for anything if they wanted to continue to stretch the gap. All they can do now is wait for the whistle; then, they followed behind their marks.

"As always, Takao is all over Kuroko," Koganei observed from the sidelines. Instead of feeling the pressure, he trusted that Kuroko will be able to pull through. Riko was grinning besides him.

"Takao can't stop him now. He developed this technique to defeat the Generation of Miracles. He's waiting for the right moment to unleash it."

After getting a hold of the ball, Izuki passed the ball towards Hyuuga, and the he ran to receive it before Kimura could touch it. The captain barely held onto the ball for a second before it was tossed towards Teppei. The center then paused to wait for the perfect moment for when Kuroko gave him the signal.

_It's coming!_ Takao realized and tried to prevent the phantom from going anywhere, only to be stopped by a screen. Being blocked, he can only look over the redhead's giant body and what he saw shocked him. Kuroko was running straight towards Midorima! _They can't be serious... He's taking on Midorima?!_

Teppei smirked. "Kuroko!" he shouted and tossed the ball. Instead of see that incredible misdirection pass, everyone was surprised that the ball was caught between the smaller boy's hands. It seemed like an impossible play, since his misdirection won't work if he had the ball in his possession, but he was up to something.

"This doesn't look good!" Miyaji warned and turned towards the shooting guard. "Watch out, Midorima!"

"Sorry, but it's not what you guys think," Kagami revealed to Takao with a wide smirk. "It's not about speed or skill. Only Kuroko can pull off..."

"He's going to do it!" Tomoko cheered along with the rest of her teammates, eyes full of anticipation. Once Kuroko started to move, she knew it was in motion—Midorima was watching intently, but in a second, Kuroko had completely disappeared from his sight.

"...the _Vanishing Drive_!"

Otsubo immediately stepped in front of the phantom to stop him, but Kuroko had already passed the ball to Teppei and the center went for the dunk.

"He made it!"

"How..." Takao breathed with disbelief, noticing the petrified look in his partner's emerald eyes. "How did he get past Midorima so easily?!"

"That bastard!" Kimura shouted and grabbed the ball. He ran towards the net and tried to make the shot.

"Don't lose your head, Kimura!" Otsubo yelled after the power forward, aware that the ball wasn't going to go in with that kind of rash action. True to his conviction, the ball bounced off the rim and was in the air for a rebound. "Damn it!" he growled when Izuki took it and threw it to Kuroko again.

"No, you don't!" Takao shouted with fury in his steel orbs, running after the blue haired boy. _I don't know what you did, but you won't get past me!_ Once he was in front of boy, he felt his surroundings swirl out of control for a moment until suddenly, his target disappeared altogether. _I-I don't believe it... He disappeared from right in front of me!_

Now free from Takao's hawk eye, Kuroko tossed the ball to Hyuuga and he swiftly made the shot. The entire arena, especially from Seirin's sidelines, exploded in a fury of cheers. Seirin pulled the score up 73 to 76!

"Let's keep calm!" Miyaji enouraged, throwing the ball back in, however, before Takao got to it, Kuroko snatched it and passed it for another three-pointer.

"Seirin's tied with Shutoku!"

"They're incredible! Seirin gained eight points before the quarter ended!"

When the buzzer for the end of the third quarter sounded, both teams were tired. But they didn't have time to complain; the following quarter will be the most intense one yet. Kuroko's sapphire orbs landed on Midorima, and the miracle returned his gaze.

"We're back where we started," the phantom told him. Midorima fixed his glasses and smirked.

"Interesting."

* * *

Concealed by the darkness casting over the corner of the stadium, a pair of mismatched eyes glinted down at the court. Akashi Seijuuro's eyes never left a certain player as he assessed him completely.

"Interesting indeed."

* * *

Tomoko set the ice-pack over Kagami's neck to cool him down a little before the last quarter started. The redhead was panting heavily. It was no wonder; he was marking Midorima the entire time.

"How are you feeling?" she asked worriedly. The redhead raised his head and chuckled.

"I'm totally fine. Besides, I can't give up before _him_."

She followed his glaze towards Midorima; it was a mystery on how Kagami was able to keep up with the miracle, and an even bigger one on how the miracle hasn't shown any sign that he was faltering. To Shutoku, it looked like Kagami has reached his limit—and he has—however, it didn't mean that he was useless now. He didn't spend all summer training his stamina for nothing.

"Did you see the looks on their faces when Kuroko performed his drive?" Furihata praised from the side with awe, "They didn't expect it at all!"

"Yeah! Now they're in big trouble!" Fukuda agreed.

"Shutoku's going to keep pushing," Riko rebutted. "Don't underestimate your opponents; they're far from done."

Tomoko nodded with agreement. Shutoku has done as much training as Seirin has, and they weren't going to give up the title of victor so easily. _They're going to keep pushing... But so are we!_

The buzzer that signaled the final quarter rang all to quickly. Players from both teams stood up and got ready to enter the court and end this match once and for all.

"Okay, let's go!" Hyuuga shouted to his team. "We'll go hard in the remaining ten minutes!"

On the other side, Takao and Midorima walked into the court with their team with faces full of concentration. When the miracle stopped momentarily to look at Seirin, Takao paused as well.

"Seirin, fight!" He heard the caramel haired manager motivate. She gave Kuroko and Kagami an extra push into the court and pumped her fist up high for her team. "Show 'em who's boss, boys!"

"Yosh!"

"She's spirited as ever," Takao commented, then he looked back at his own team and sighed playfully. "If only we had a cute little manager as well. Right, Shin-chan? Shin-chan?"

The green haired miracle was too busy staring down Kagami, who was doing some squats to exercise his legs before looking up and returning the glare, to even take in what the ravenette had to say. Takao pouted. "No fun," he said and decided to walk towards Kuroko to engage him. "He's as worked up as Shin-chan is, huh? We can't let him outdo us."

_Honestly though, I'm not sure what his trick is yet..._ he carefully assessed Kuroko; the boy gave him an emotionless stare back. "I'll stop you even if I have to cling to you," he said with threatening determination.

"I can't have you beating me so easily," Kuroko said and they both got into position. The last quarter will be a race against the clock to score the most points—neither team was going to give up easily.

The game commenced again, and crowd roared with excitement and anticipation. Seirin immediately employed their run-and-gun style and rushed towards the net where Miyaji was waiting. The senior had already predicted this play and went to break the chain. What he didn't expect, however, was Kuroko coming into the middle.

"Crap!" Takao cursed when Kuroko passed him and ran to receive the ball. He hit it this time, and it made an angular loop straight towards Kagami. The redhead jumped, causing both Otsubo and Kimura to follow simultaneously after him.

"Go Kagami!" Riko and the others shouted. They feared that the seniors would touch the ball because they were so close, but Kagami leaned back just enough before slammed it forward.

_BAM!_

"Alright!"

"He dunked through two of them!"

"Did you see the ball curve suddenly before going in? Seirin's magical passes are back!"

_The audience never notice that Tetsuya-kun's behind all of the passes,_ Tomoko looked around all of the cheering fans. She then giggled to herself, _Well, I guess that's what makes Seirin so mysterious to them... It's Tetsuya-kun's own unique style!_

_Izuki and Kiyoshi's fast passes have changed with the addition of Kuroko. Their rhythm can sudden change... It's an ever-changing run-and-gun style,_ Otsubo pondered seriously as the guys went back._ This is the final form of Seirin's basketball. _

Takao quickly gained access to the ball and expertly dodged his marks and passed it to Miyaji, who in turn gave it to their star player from the other side of the court—Midorima.

_Don't get ahead of yourselves,_ the miracle thought angrily and raised his arms to shoot. He saw Kagami coming, but he had already aimed and arched the ball big above anyone's reach.

_Shit! I was a second too late!_ Kagami cursed internally when the ball soared above his head. Teppei watched Midorima with incredulity.

_Just how many of these shots has he taken? His endurance is incredible!_

"Amazing, Shin-chan!" Takao praised when the scoreboard buzzed with the three-pointer. "Are you okay? You must be approaching your limit."

"Fool," Midorima dismissed the ravenette's concern. "There's no way I wouldn't know exactly how many shots I can take. I surpassed my limit long ago."

Takao blinked in surprise and was momentarily at loss for words. When it finally hit him, he let out a small laugh. "What are you talking about? Heh, what a man."

Not surprisingly, Seirin had speculated that as the case, and Midorima's words only confirmed their suspicions. It was no use letting dismay and doubt take over their emotions, nor did they want it to. They will tough it out, and they will fight it.

All around, fans cheered for either Seirin or Shutoku, and the force behind their chants was enough to fuel both teams and fire them up more.

"We're not here to lose!" Hyuuga grinned, making another shot.

"Neither are we!" Takao returned the fire and made a layup.

"Shutoku! Shutoku! Shutoku!"

"Seirin! Seirin! Seirin!"

"Listen to them cheer," Momoi remarked with marvel. "It's amazing."

_The player on the inside are having the most fun, though,_ Kise watched them battle it out on the court. The fast-paced play was exciting _him_ and got his heart pumping. _They're absolutely focused and experiencing a high, like... _

"Argh!" he shouted enviously, "I feel like playing basketball!"

_Poor Ki-chan, _Momoi giggled and patted the blonde's back in pity. _But I have to admit. This game _is_ exhilarating._

Soon, there was only 30 seconds left of the game. Seirin and Shutoku had exchanged scores back and for, and now Seirin was leading by a single point. 103 to 102.

Otsubo grabbed control of the flying ball and mustered up all of his power into his jump for what he assumed was one of his last to assure Shutoku's victory—he made it, and as long as they defended their net with an iron wall, Seirin wasn't going to get anywhere.

"There's no time!" Kogenei said frantically as the clock ticked down too fast for his liking.

"Get them!" Tsuchida stood from his seat. "Izuki!"

The point guard tried to pass Kimura, but the male's hand somehow snaked down towards the ball and Izuki watched in horror as he lost control of the ball. He froze as it started to spin out towards his left. _At this rate, it's going to be their ball!_

From the corner of his eye, however, he saw a figure run behind the fallen ball. His spirits lifted; "Kuroko!" he shouted for the boy.

"You're not going anywhere!" Takao growled just steps behind.

"Then I'll force my way through!" Kuroko countered. As soon as his foot touched the ground, he was off.

"Yosh! The Vanishing Drive!" Seirin's bench was a fury of shouts as Kuroko got past the hawk eye user. Otsubo was immediately in action and followed to block him, but he wasn't fast enough for the phantom's passing target.

"Go!" the first years chanted for the brunette center as he got ready to jump. All of the sudden, a jolt of pain shot through his knee; Hyuuga immediately took notice of the change in his demeanor but Teppei wasn't going to let his team down. Not now. He bit the insides of his cheek to suppress the pain and went for the jump. At the same time, Midorima had snuck up behind him and was inches from slapping the ball away.

"No you don't, Iron Heart!"

Teppei realized that his shot was going to miss because of the miracle, so he tried his best to turn the direction of the ball to make it go in. However, the damage was done and the ball missed._ Crap!_

The referee's whistle suddenly blew and all of the players gasped in surprise.

"Defense, pushing!" the man yelled, "Shutoku No. 6! Free throw, two shots!"

Midorima's brows tick in annoyance at the call. His seniors crowded around him and tried to lift his spirits.

"Don't worry about it, Midorima," Kimura patted his shoulder. Miyaji nodded.

"It was actually a nice play. If you haven't done that, he would've made it for sure."

_Damn it, I meant to block without fouling him,_ the miracle gritted his teeth. _No wonder they call him the Iron Heart. _

"We just have to give it our all. There's no way he isn't feeling the pressure now," Otsubo addressed to his team. "We need to get that rebound!

"Yeah!"

Teppei was panting hard. There was only two seconds left of the game and the penalty was almost a gift sent from heaven; he just needed to make the two shots and his team will come out victorious. But will his knees give out before that?

Hyuuga watched the center struggle with concealing his pain, and he knew what the next move will be. "Screen them out! Don't let them get the ball!" he ordered. He wanted to be prepared in case Teppei's legs gave out.

"We're not telling you to miss, of course," Izuki encouraged the center with a smile. "We're just being prepared."

"Getting the free shots is the fastest way, but we'll be right behind you!" Kagami chuckled. The blue haired player besides him also silently expressed his confidence in the second-year.

"Let's have some fun."

With the motivation from his team, Teppei calmed his nerves and smiled. "Ah. That's what I'll do."

The court went silent after the referee handed the male the ball. Two shots was all he needed to get ahead of Shutoku, and two shots is what he planned on making.

_One._

"We're tied! We're tied!" Koganei and the others chanted. They only needed one more shot now!

The second-year grabbed the ball again and twirled it to prepare for his second throw. Tomoko saw him let out a shaky breath; she couldn't blame him because the pressure _was_ tremendous. But, she thought she saw the twitch of agony in his eyes and wondered if it was his knee injury resurfacing or just her imagination.

_Two—_

The second time the ball was sent flying towards the net was an extremely slow one; it was as if time stopped and the ball was twirling in slow motion. The players lining up on both sides of the net watched in anticipation for the result, one team wishing for it to go in while the other wished for it to miss. Just before the ball reached the net, both teams already knew the answer and one word left their coaches' mouths simultaneously...

"REBOUND!"

Everyone jumped up in perfect sync, all hoping to reach the flying ball first. It was a battle for the ball—Otsubo and Miyaji seemed to be the first ones to near it, but their pending victory was cut short as Kagami soared up higher than both of them and took the ball.

"Kagami!"

It was a moment of panic for Shutoku, but none of them were going to give up now, not until the very last second. Midorima shot up right after Kagami after he attempted to dunk the ball, and the two were caught in midair in a battle of strength.

_Come on, come on!_ Tomoko chanted with clenched fists. Pounding hearts could be heard within every player as they watched the scene unfold. And then...

The buzzer sounded.

* * *

Whispers among the audience filled the stadium at the end result. The battle had ended all too quickly for them to comprehend and they weren't sure what to make of the situation.

Time had run out on Seirin and Shutoku, and the score that displayed on the giant scoreboard remained.

"104 to 104... Are they going to go into overtime?" Tomoko asked with wide eyes.

"If this were a normal game, then yes," Riko said slowly. Her mind was still in a state of disbelief. "But, this kind of tournament sets a 40-minute limit to keep the games short, so there are no overtime rules. That means..."

"We tied..." Tomoko breathed. She can't imagine how her teammates were feeling right now, especially Teppei, but she was beyond words of expression. All she knew was that her words earlier had come true in a unexpected way. _It really is a victory on both sides after all. _A short, happy laugh escaped from her lips as she ran towards her teammates.

"Kiyoshi!"

The mentioned second-year took a step back and fell onto his bottom at the group that suddenly came towards him with their hands in the air. He looked up with a whine, "You guys are brutal... Honestly, I didn't expect you to blame me that much~!"

"Blame you?" Hyuuga questioned with genuine confusion. "Those were high fives."

The center didn't have time to voice his surprise before a blur of caramel locks came into his vision and jumped him for a crushing hug. She was careful to not irritate his legs, though, just in case.

"That was amazing, Kiyoshi-san!"

"We made it this far because of you, so don't be stupid and think otherwise," the captain scowled, though a small smile could be seen pushing at the corner of his lips. Next to him, Izuki chuckled.

"No one took it easy. It's no one's fault."

"Besides, we didn't lose," Kagami said and looked away.

"We did the best we could. I have no regrets," Kuroko added.

Teppei blinked in silence for a moment and a grin tugged across his face. Hyuuga lent him and hand and pulled him to his feet, and then the caramel haired manager enveloped all of them into a congratulatory hug.

"Nice work you guys," she whispered happily.

As usual, Kagami grunted and halfheartedly tried to push the affectionate girl away out of embarrassment, but the expression on his face displayed fondness for her and the team.

"Kagami." He turned to the voice and saw Midorima staring at him. His emerald eyes showed that he couldn't put this result down peacefully.

"Surely you're not satisfied with this."

Kagami smirked, "Of course not. We'll settle things later."

"There will be no ties at the Winter Cup," Takao came up and looked straight at Kuroko. He wasn't going to let what the phantom pulled go, either, and he expressed the determination to break all of the boy's tricks. "Let's settle it then."

"I couldn't ask for more," Kuroko smiled.

Applause erupted from all around them; it seemed that the fans were moved by this game as well, and they were eager to see more of what the two teams can offer at the Winter Cup.

"With a score of 104 to 104, it's a tie!" the referee announced.

Both teams stood in front of each other down a line, and with a new challenge and purpose lighting within their eyes, they bowed.

* * *

_"Unity is the best form of victory!"_

_-Okuma Tomoko_

* * *

**Have a question or want trivia? Tell me! :D Not much Akashi in this chapter bc it's focused on the match, but do stay tuned for more ~**


	27. Of Friends

**Tomoko Trivia:**

**·** Her favorite food is pork buns.

**·** Her hobbies are baking and meddling (with good intentions).

**·** Her best subjects are home economics and biology.

**·** Her worst subject is English.

**· **Her type of guy is a reliable person.

**·** Her motto is "_Savor_ _the moment_".

**· **She is 167 cm tall, just 1 cm shorter than Kuroko.

**Q&amp;A time!**

Q: _Who is your (Dancing Peony's) favorite character and why?_

A: OMG, this is so hard. My kokoro has been jumping from one to another... But to name my ultimate fave (since the beginning!), I'll have to go with Aomine. I know he acts like an arrogant lil shit after being _"Ever-Victorious"_, but I really fell in love with the way he was during the first years of Teiko. He was such a spirited lil cutie! And he always encouraged Kuroko when the boy doubted himself. After being defeated by Bakagami and co., he finally _somewhat_ reverted back to his old self and he's just pretty chill in general. Haha.

Q: _Has Tomoko ever harbored a crush on anyone before?_

A: Like Okuma Yuuma once stated, Tomoko's personality makes her loving towards _all_ of her friends. Even though she's never had a romantic crush on a guy, there's a childhood friend who holds a special place in her heart.

Q: _Does Tomoko know how to sing / do cheerleading?_

A: Well, I've never really thought about if she would be a _great_ singer or not, but our cute heroine _definitely_ doesn't have a terrible voice! As for cheerleading skills... She's not an actual cheerleader (so she can't do crazy flips and stuff hah hah). She just has lots of spirit. :D

Q: _When will Akashi meet Tomoko?_

A: This is such a popular question and all of you have been wondering it since the beginning... However, I'm not one to spoil mysteries (ooooo I'm evil), so please continue to read to find out~! Please understand that it's very hard to find a situation where these two would meet randomly, since Bokushi (evil Akashi) is also a lil shit and probably doesn't roam around places Tomoko goes as a pastime.

(OR DOES HE?)

You're all welcome to ask more questions or trivia~!

**Now,** _I_ have a question for all of you: I've noticed drops in responses on chapters such as the last one (sad author is sad). Is it because I'm making them too long? Too boring? I'm open to criticism, so please don't be shy on telling me what I can improve on!

P.S. Guess who's officially a college student!

P.P.S. Guess who also stupidly signed up for two literature classes and now have to read 14 books total this semester?

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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**_SPARK_**

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"Number 2!"

Tomoko pouted as she ran down the hallway in a hurry. Her team was packing up in the locker room, so she was taking this time to find a certain furry creature. The halls were crowded as people were all filing out to leave; she couldn't possibly see where the pup was.

_Maybe he ran to a less crowded area,_ she thought when she spotted a less occupied hall and ran down that way. It led her towards an opened door leading out the side of the gymnasium.

"Number 2!" she called again, looking around for any sight of the pup. Although she didn't see Number 2, there was a male walking not far in front of her and she called after him. "Excuse me!"

He turned around and stared at her when she caught up to him.

"Have you seen a puppy around here?" she asked hopefully. Her brows furrowed in an attempt to describe the puppy clearer. "He's black and white with blue eyes. Oh, he's also wearing a uniform!"

Her description promoted the red haired male to quirk a small smile, "A dog wearing a uniform?" he repeated in amusement. Tomoko nodded with a grin of her own.

"You came to see the game, right? The uniform is mostly black and white with red lines—you know, like Seirin's!"

_Seirin_, Akashi mused and drew his attention onto the girl, now recalling that he saw her sitting on the sidelines with the rest of that team during the game. _She's the manager on Tetsuya's team. _

"I haven't seen the dog you've described," he said.

He saw the obvious crestfallen expression on the girl's face before it went away and was replaced with a small smile. "That's..." she trailed off when her salmon eyes locked onto his for the first time.

_What is she doing?_ Akashi regarded her coolly while keeping his intimidating stare on her. Akashi Seijuuro was a gentleman, but he demanded order from all of his subjects nonetheless. The eye contact was unnecessarily long and he was getting bored of waiting for her to form a competent sentence. Whether she was too star-struck or had some other motive in mind, he didn't care.

A flash of light danced across his mismatched orbs and caused Tomoko to stagger back a few steps, thus breaking the contact.

"Your eyes..." she trailed off, not being able to find her words.

"If you have something to say, then _speak_. I should warn you that I don't take kindly to insolence," Akashi stated as he took an intimidating step forward. Unlike what he expected, she didn't cower powerlessly at his threatening tone.

_Insolence?_ Tomoko was blinking with concern. _Did I sound rude? Ah, maybe I stared at him for too long. _"Your eyes are unusual," she finally revealed what she wanted to say without holding back.

Akashi raised a delicate red brow. She practically insulted him—he shouldn't let that slide on her part—yet she was smiling at him warmly after saying such a thing.

_That carefree attitude is goading._

"I'm not finished yet," she told him boldly after sensing his chilling glare. "I was gonna say that though they're unusual, they're also very beautiful!"

_Beautiful?_ Akashi paused silently.

"Anyway, sorry for bothering you. I'll leave you alone now!"

She had quickly apologized for her inconvenience and started to go on her way again, not waiting for him to reply. Not that he was going to, anyway. Instead, Akashi grew mildly amused at her retreating figure. He realized that she really hadn't meant anything else when she gave him that odd compliment—it was purely just _that, _and he had to say...

He didn't like that she was so _unusual _herself.

* * *

Midorima stood in front of the vending machine outside of the gymnasium and scanned over the drink options. His team was still in the locker room, so he had ordered Takao to hurry up before excusing himself. Hovering his taped finger over the button, he was about to press it when another finger reached for it and got it for him.

"This is what you wanted, right?" Momoi bent down and picked up the can of chilled red bean soup. She smiled at the miracle's stoic expression. "It's been a while, Midorin."

At the same time, Kise strolled past the two and perked up, "Yo. Not a bad game, right?" he asked in greeting. Midorima regarded his former teammate and manager coolly and walked down the small path with them in tow. "If you win your next game, you'll be in the Winter Cup," the blonde continued, "make sure you don't mess this up."

"That is impossible. Don't be stupid," Midorima replied and Kise pouted in response.

"Eh, who are you calling stupid?"

"I'm not the one you should be worried about. Seirin's next opponent is Kirisaki Daiichi. It's led by Hanamiya Makoto," he said seriously. Just mentioning that team made his brows furrow with disgust. He couldn't forget that look he saw on their captain's face the other day they skipped out on the Kirisaki Daiichi-Shutoku match. "It's obvious they have their sights set on Seirin in the championship league. They're guaranteed to do something to secure their victory."

"One of the Uncrowned Kings..." Kise's eyes narrowed; he knew of the underhanded captain and heard all about his tricks. "They've got another difficult opponent to face."

They continued to walk in silence for a while before they stopped at the gate. Midorima then stepped forward, "I'll see you around. Goodbye," he said bluntly. Momoi and Kise raised their brows and ran after him.

"Already? But it's been so long since we've seen each other!"

"W-Wait, what is that?!" Kise pointed at the wooden cart attached to a bicycle resting by the stone wall. Midorima huffed.

"It's exactly what it looks like. Takao pulls it—" he suddenly paused upon seeing an animal sitting inside his cart. It was a husky puppy wearing a costumed uniform; somehow, those brilliant blue eyes seemed familiar. _Why? Looking at him makes me so angry for some reason!_

Meanwhile, Momoi was squealing internally. _He's wearing a uniform! H-How cute!_

_Hey, isn't that...?_ Kise wondered, looking up when Tomoko's voice reached his ears. "Kuma-cchi!" he called excitedly upon seeing the girl running towards them.

"Have you seen Number 2?" she panted before smiling up at the blonde in greeting. She saw Momoi lift up the runaway pup from inside the wooden cart and let out a breath of relief. "There you are!"

"What's he doing here~?" Momoi cooed with stars in her eyes.

"Kuma-cchi, did you come to see me~?" Kise mirrored Momoi's star-stricken expression as he rubbed his face against Tomoko's while hugging her. She giggled and explained her reason for being out here; Kuroko had brought Number 2 to the match but had to leave him in the locker room, and when they came back, the furry being was gone. Thus, she and the boy went out searching for him.

While the other two were in their personal bliss, Midorima was twitching in annoyance from both how attached the blonde was acting towards the girl and what the puppy had ungracefully left in his cart. He pointed an accusing finger at the puppy, "That dog peed in my cart!" he shouted uncharacteristically and then walked over to the pink haired manager calmly with his hand out. "Give him to me, Momoi."

"Why?" she answered offhandedly, blushing down at the cuteness in front of her. Number 2 was enjoying the attention he was getting and licked the girl as well as Tomoko who came besides her. Midorima looked determined.

"I'll shoot him."

"No!" Momoi and Tomoko cried at the same time, the image of the miracle throwing the poor thing into a basket horrified them and they hugged the puppy close. The pink haired girl looked up at Midorima with teary eyes, "That's cruel, Midorin! You can't do that!"

"Excuse me." Another pair of footsteps then approached the four teens and two of them stopped their bickering to see Kuroko coming up. "That's my dog," he said softly. Number two jumped out from Momoi's arms and ran towards his owner, got picked up, and started to lick the boy's face happily. "Eh, what is everyone doing here?"

_A dog that looks just like Tetsu-kun is licking Tetsu-kun's face—! It's too cute... _Momoi hyperventilated with a burning face. She suddenly felt lightheaded...

"Momo-cchi!?" Kise cried in confusion when she dropped to the ground.

"Momo-chan...?" Tomoko knelt down to take a look at the girl and exchanged a sheepish grin with Kise. "I think she fainted. Maybe we should use Midorima-kun's cart and send her home?"

"No way," the green haired miracle replied and immediately turned his back to them. On cue, a head of raven bobbled up towards the area. "I'm leaving."

"Hey, Shin-chan!" Takao greeted his partner; he was still cheerful as ever. However, Midorima only walked past him. "Eh, you're leaving?"

"Midorima-kun, wait!" Tomoko called out. "Mou, you always try to leave before I can congratulate you!" Her laugh was music to everyone's ears. Midorima found himself pausing just to hear her out—something he found that he did a lot since realizing his fondness for the girl. "That last block was super cool! I'm glad we got to play your team again."

"Hn," he said, trying to keep his cool.

"And... You should smile more often! It suits you."

Though the miracle's back was facing everyone, Takao noticed the blush and tiniest of a smile on that humorless face. A mischievous grin stretched across his face and he wrapped an arm around Tomoko's shoulder, much to Kise's dismay and Kuroko's silent annoyance. "Tomo-chan never fails to make Shin-chan happy~!"

"Eh, really?" she wondered with a giggle.

"It'll make him _even_ happier if you'll come with us for some celebratory ice-cream! Right, Shin-chan?!" he grinned, pulling her away as she was too confused to turn down the offer.

"I never admitted to such a thing," Midorima grunted and fixed his glasses. He ignored the ploy the ravenette was trying to pull and ordered him to push the cart. "Let's go," he demanded.

Takao sighed and released his hold on the caramel haired girl after getting some unwanted glares from the phantom and blonde miracle. "You're too uptight sometimes~" he followed behind the male with a small pout as he took a hold of the bicycle.

"We'll meet again at the Winter Cup!" Tomoko waved after them with a bright smile. The shorter Shutoku player agreed enthusiastically while the miracle did something akin to a nod of acknowledgment. "Then we'll all go out for some ice-cream!"

"Did you hear than, Shin-chan? She agreed—"

"Shut up, Takao."

* * *

Kagami clicked on the message he received from Tomoko while he strolled down the hallway of the gymnasium. "Looks like they found Number 2," he mumbled at the attached photo of the girl and Kuroko with the runaway puppy. One of his brows shot up with curiosity when he spotted a certain blonde behind them, his arms out and his mouth open as if he was saying _I wanna be in it too! _

"What an idiot," he chaffed and walked towards Seirin's locker room, which was on his way out of the gym. Most of team had went home already, so he really wasn't expecting anyone to be in there when he walked by.

_"...Don't play in our game against Kirisaki Daiichi." _

_"Don't be ridiculous!" _He paused right before the door; the tense tone of the captain and the center sounded like they were in an argument. _"This year is probably my last chance. Even if it destroys my knees, I'm playing." _

Kagami's eyes bulged after hearing that. _Destroys his knees? Oi, wait a minute... _He stepped behind a large pillar when the sound of footsteps neared the door. He peeked around the corner to see Teppei coming out and walking towards the exit by himself. _Why did he..._

"Taiga-chan, are you spying on someone?" He nearly jumped out of his shoes when a female voice whispered from behind.

"Holy—!" he breathed erratically as three pairs of eyes stared at him curiously. A scowl then appeared on his face, "Why do you guys always sneak up on me like that?!"

"Don't mind, don't mind~ What _are _you doing though?" Tomoko grinned. She stuck her head out to see what the redhead was looking at. "Oh, Kiyoshi-san!" she called happily, causing Kagami to panic; he tried to pull her back but the senior had already turned around. Kuroko almost gave the redhead some sympathy when he silently groaned and tried to disappear from sight. No one wanted to be caught eavesdropping, after all.

However, the older male didn't seem to notice and struck up a conversation with the equally oblivious manager.

"So you found the little guy, didn't you? I'm glad he's okay."

"Yup! Did everyone else leave already?"

"Yeah, it looks like it."

Hyuuga suddenly stepped out of the locker room and blinked at the group gathered outside the door. Kuroko was standing besides Kagami, who had his body behind the pillar, while Tomoko and Teppei paused their talking. Number 2 ran around his feet once and barked.

"Oh, you guys are still here?" he asked in surprise. "Kagami, why are you—"

"Everyone's here! Let's head home now!" the redhead cut in loudly and marched forward towards Tomoko and Teppei. Hyuuga and Kuroko both regarded his sudden change of subject with suspicion, but the captain didn't say anything as he and the shadow followed behind the remaining three members of the team out.

As the manager and the tall center talked animatedly in the front of the group, Hyuuga and Kuroko sensed that something was on the redhead's mind when he slowed down and started to trail behind by himself. It worried them that he was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Let's stop at Maji Burger," Kuroko piped up suddenly when they neared the fast food restaurant. He figured that it was something the redhead had heard when he was 'eavesdropping' on whatever conversation the captain and the center had before he appeared, and he intended to figure out what was wrong. He looked at Kagami expectantly, "I would like to get a vanilla milkshake."

At the mention of milkshake, Tomoko visibly perked up. "I'm down!" she cheered, turning to the male besides her. "What about you, Kiyoshi-san?"

"Ah, sorry, my grandparents are expecting me home soon," he replied apologetically.

Tomoko pursed her lips but nodded in understanding; she and the rest waved goodbye to the male as he turned to head the opposite direction. However, the wince of pain finally confirmed Tomoko's earlier suspicions when he had to walk up a short flight of stairs up the bridge.

_So it _is_ his knee__..._

"You coming, Okuma?" She heard Hyuuga call, and she quickly ran up to them as they entered the buzzing restaurant.

Once the four teens got to the front of the line and ordered—Kuroko ordered his milkshake, Tomoko got the same plus some fries, Hyuuga opted for a large coke, and Kagami came back with a mountain of cheese burgers—they grabbed a seat next to the window looking out the bright streets at night. Immediately upon sitting down, Kagami unwrapped a few burgers and started munching down with furrowed brows.

Although some patrons were glancing at the redhead with perturbed curiosity, he ignored them and continued to eat. Kuroko sipped on his milkshake before breaking the silence.

"What's wrong, Kagami-kun?"

"Something's been eating you since we left, and now you're eating burgers," Tomoko added with a fry in her mouth, giggling when the redhead suddenly choked and glared at her for her bad wordplay. She offered him her shake and he quickly swallowed the sweet liquid before clearing his throat.

"That was terrible," he mumbled, speaking to both her joke and the too-creamy shake. He liked sweets, but he preferred his drinks to be lighter since it mostly consisted of energy drinks and water anyway. He then looked straight at the black haired captain who was quietly observing the scene outside the window. "I do have something on my mind though. Captain, can I ask you something?"

"What?" Hyuuga turned to face him.

"Why did Kiyoshi-senpai say this year was his last chance?"

Tomoko and Kuroko reacted to the redhead's question with surprise. This was the first time they've heard something like this, but by the looks of how the center was feeling today, Tomoko had at least a slight idea of where this was heading.

"So you did hear it," Hyuuga closed his eyes after a short silence. "Fine, then. Considering his condition, you'd have found out eventually."

"You're talking about Kiyoshi-san's knee injury coming back, right?" Tomoko asked.

"Okuma, you know about this?"

"I had my suspicions during the game. I could see that he was hurting," she replied with a worried look. "Is it really bad?"

Hyuuga looked outside the window once more. There was an unreadable frown etched on his face; although he never outwardly expressed his concern for the overly-friendly brunette, it was undeniable that the captain cared about him. Taking a deep breath, he looked back to his juniors with resolution.

"I might as well tell you everything."

Thus Hyuuga spilled his story of what happened; but, he started from the beginning when he first entered Seirin and met who he had considered the very unlikable, very annoying, and _very_ persistent _Iron Heart_.

* * *

"Stop being annoying."

"But Shin-chan, that was the perfect chance for you to ask her out~" Takao replied with a small whine. He didn't understand why the green haired miracle was being so stubborn. "It would've been like a date!"

Midorima, on the other hand, didn't understand why he associates himself with someone who has such an obnoxious personality. Takao partly reminded him of Kise Ryouta, and the last time he checked, he didn't particularly like the annoying model. Kise was touchy—_way_ too touchy and affectionate for Midorima's comfort—and he was also blatantly two-faced. Contrary to popular opinion (from the girls, of course), Kise could be pretty spiteful to those he didn't care to respect. Takao was just annoying.

"No it would not," he droned out as they made their way down the residential street. To his dismay in the beginning of the school year, he had found out that he lived only a few blocks away from the point guard and it seemed to have prompted the male to annoy him constantly. "You would have been there."

"Wait, so you were just mad that I would've been the third wheel?"

"I did not say that."

"But it's what you meant!" Takao laughed victoriously. But with one glare from the miracle, he immediately stopped making a sound. The walk became silent as the two friends crossed the street.

_Well, are we really friends? The seniors and I all acknowledge his skill, but we're not particularly close on a personal standpoint. But I can't really hate him, even if he's so weird and uptight, _Takao thought to himself. The ravenette has never met someone with a personality like Midorima's before, and he guessed that was what made him like to involve himself with the male's business. _Besides, messing with a tsundere is fun! He's always denying his feelings._

What Midorima needed was a little push, and that he was going to get.

"Oh, we're at my street already," Takao grinned and the bike squeaked to a stop besides him. Midorima nodded.

"See you—"

"Don't worry, we'll continue fighting for your love life tomorrow~!"

Before Midorima could find something heavy to throw at Takao for that preposterous comment, the giddy male already considered the possible consequences and had bolted with the cart rattling behind him. "Goodbye, Shin-chan!" he shouted, his loud cackle echoing down the street.

With an irritated sigh, the miracle moved on. The engines inside his mind was turning; Takao can _think_ that he gets away with things like that, but who was the one always pulling the cart?

A small chuckle of his own left Midorima's lips._ I can't say that my first impression of him was good... _Perhaps he had warmed up to Takao long ago; he just didn't want to admit it. It seemed that he was warming up to a lot of people lately...

The ringing of his cell drew him out of his thoughts and Midorima went to take out the phone from his pocket. He was both surprised and hesitant to see the caller ID, but he picked up anyway.

"Good evening, Shintarou."

"_Akashi_..." he muttered. It was never good when the former captain reached out to him or the others, especially not _this _Akashi. Midorima had known long ago that there was always a different, more ruthless personality within the well-mannered captain, but the event from the past that had triggered it to surface was still horrifying and hard to believe.

"The game between you and Tetsuya was unexpected, to say the least."

_So he came to see the game,_ Midorima narrowed his eyes. "You're in Tokyo?"

"Ah. I was curious. I'm interested in something that I saw today." Though the tone of Akashi's voice was pleasant and friendly, he knew that it was far from the case.

"The Vanishing Drive," he said in realization, stopping in front of the gate to his house. "But you seem to know everything already." He couldn't see it, but he knew the red haired captain was smirking when he replied.

"I do. I was the one who discovered Tetsuya's power, after all. His new move was not anticipated, but rather than that, I'm talking about _you_, Shintarou. I'm wondering if you're allowing him and his team to stray you away from your focus."

"What are you trying to—"

"That's all I wanted to say today," Akashi cut Midorima off pleasantly. "I should be seeing all of you very soon."

The line went dead, and the green haired miracle stared down at the blank screen of his phone. _My focus..._ He clutched the phone tightly in his hand and scoffed.

.

_twenty-seven_

**of friends**

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Tomoko woke up the next morning with sleep still blurring her vision. She blinked a few times before shutting off her alarm; it was six on a Sunday morning, and Seirin's practice didn't start until eight-thirty. However, she had something else she wanted to do this morning.

After getting ready and grabbing a piece of toast smeared with honey on her way out, she set off towards an unfamiliar direction. Since it was November now, the temperature had dropped slightly. This morning was breezy, but Tomoko was well equipped with a light jacket and was currently slow jogging to keep warm.

She munched on the toast, savoring the crunchy and sweet combination while making sure that she was on the right track. She read off the street signs as she passed them._ I should be close... I think..._

_"Oi! Seriously, slow down!"_

_"You need to be faster." _

The voices could be heard not too far away and it caused Tomoko to wonder where it came from. It almost sounded like it was coming from around the corner—she didn't have time to react when someone appeared before her.

_BAM!_

The impact sent her flying and she landed painfully on her bottom. Her whole body tingled with jolts of pain as she laid on the ground with her eyes swirling. She heard a groan beside her.

"Look what you did! Are you okay, miss?!"

Another voice, the first one from before, cried and rushed up towards the two of them. Tomoko felt two slender but strong arms lift her up slightly and she tried to blink the pain away and opened her eyes. Minus the blur, a pair of wide, reddish-brown eyes was staring down at her with panic; they belonged to an average height, ashy brown haired male who didn't look any older than herself. Nonetheless, stars were still dancing around her eyes and mind from the impact and she zoned out.

"...Is'th night time already?" she mumbled incoherently, causing the male holding her to panic even more. He started to wave his hands around.

"H-How many fingers am I holding up? What's one plus one?!"

Shaking her head to clear out the blurriness, Tomoko finally regained her old self and sat up. "I'm okay now," she rubbed her head before looking around to see the person that crashed into her was slowly getting up himself. "Is he okay?"

"Eh?" the male in front of her blinked before making eye contact with his friend. "Oh, Takeru's fine! He recovers quickly. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"There'll probably be a bruise here and there, but it's nothing! I get those sometimes with the basketball team," Tomoko grinned, standing up and dusting herself off. "But thank you, um..."

"Call me Riku! Yagami Riku!" the ashy brown haired teen introduced himself. He walked over to help his friend up and laughed at the half-eaten toast that was stuck in his cropped black hair. "This guy that ran into you is—"

"Fujiwara Takeru," Takeru muttered and peeled the toast away from his hair. He looked appalled at the sticky liquid clinging onto the black strands. Nonetheless, he turned to Tomoko and bowed a straight ninety-degrees. "I'm sorry for knocking you over."

Riku huffed, "This wouldn't have happened in the first place if you'd just listen to me and slowed down!"

Tomoko waved her hand in front of her, "It's okay! I should've paid attention to my surroundings more. You were seriously fast though! It was amazing! Oh, I'm Okuma Tomoko, by the way."

"Thanks," Takeru straightened back up and said softly.

"We're stride runners!" Riku told her with his arms crossed behind his head. Tomoko picked up the happiness from his tone as he explained what it was that they did. "It's a team sport that combines parkour, free-running, relay and sprint. Tournaments are held in public places and venues."

Stride was a fairly new sport that only established about a decade ago, so it was no wonder she's never heard of it; but, it sounded interesting. Tomoko smiled as she listened to the male ramble on about the sport as well as his team.

"It sounds like you guys are passionate about it and have a lot of fun," she commented. Riku nodded and pointed to his black haired friend.

"It's a fun sport! We're just training now for next year; since our seniors are leaving, we have to maintain a complete team and perfect relation, and we're determined to not let our rival _Saisei_ beat us even once next year~ Takeru here won't accept defeat," he grinned confidently. "Though, the Honan Stride Team won't let that happen either!"

_He has great spirit,_ Tomoko remarked happily to herself. She felt at ease being in the stride runner's presence, even if she's only just met him and his friend. _A team that fights through trial and error... They've created a strong bond. Just like Seirin._

"Takeru's pretty crazy though," he lowered his voice as he was on the topic of his black haired friend. "He'll practice practically every second of his life and says stuff like 'If you're serious about stride, eat white meat'!"

"Oi," Takeru glared at the light brunette, but the male ignored him.

"What about you, Okuma-san? Did you say that you're on the basketball team? It must be awesome~ I wanted to join our basketball team plus a few others when I first came here! All sports are super cool!" When Riku mentioned basketball, Takeru immediately went over and examined the girl's legs with his sharp eyes. He was about to grab it before the light brunette pushed him away in a fury to protect the girl's legs. "Damn it Takeru, don't be such a pervert!"

"To be a basketball player, she would need to build more stamina in her legs," Takeru answered seriously.

"You really need to stop your habit of examining people's legs! It's creepy!"

Tomoko laughed at the two bickering teens; they reminded her of Kuroko and Kagami in a way. "Fujiwara-kun's right, Riku-kun. I'm only a manager for my team, but it's a lot of fun to watch my team play. I'm actually heading to practice in a few... Oh!" she blinked at the time. It was nearly seven. "I should get going now!"

"Aw, okay," Riku pouted, though he and Takeru bade the girl goodbye. "Bye bye!"

"Good luck on the rest of your training!" she shouted before picking up her speed. The boys watched as she disappeared down the street and started to resume their race.

"She can run pretty fast," Takeru commented out of nowhere. "But her legs definitely need more training. If I could feel them, then I could tell how much toning she should do—"

"I told you already, that's _creepy_!"

* * *

After the short run-in with the stride runners, Tomoko was putting in crunch time of her own to make it to her intended destination. It didn't help that she seemed to be sort of lost after she just dashed off.

"I swear it was just around the corner before..." she wondered out loud. Turning down another corner, she nearly collided with someone _again_. "Oh!"

"Tomoko-san?"

"Tetsuya-kun?"

The blue haired player was just as surprised to see Tomoko as she was to see him. He was already wearing his practice outfit, however this wasn't the way to Seirin's gym. It took a second for Tomoko to realize what the boy was up to, but she grinned at the end.

"Ah~ You'd have to lead the way, then!"

* * *

"Breakfast is ready!"

"Okay, I'll be right down!"

The brunette hummed a small tone as he combed his hair. No matter how many times he tried to brush it over, it didn't seem to want to stay put. "It sure is messy today. Maybe I should brush it off and leave it be," he said before pausing.

"Oya, did I just make a pun? I may be as good as Izuki, hah hah!"

Once he was finished, the brunette walked down the wooden corridor of the small one-story home. The floorboards creaked a little as he made his way towards the elderly woman who had just set down a bowl of miso soup next to the plate of himono (sun-dried fish), natto (fermented soybean), and rice.

He picked up the chopsticks laying besides the rice and clapped his hands together. "Then, thanks for the—"

_Ding dong!_

"I'll get it!" he smiled at the elderly woman and went to get the door. "Did I invite someone over this morning?" he wondered, not remembering having made any plans of the sort, especially since he has practice later on.

Upon opening the door, he was pleasantly shocked to see his two underclassmen standing before him.

"You guys...?"

"Ah, are they your friends, Teppei-kun?" the old woman shuffled up behind him with a wrinkled smile. "Invite them in for breakfast. We have plenty."

"Sorry for the intrusion," Tomoko and Kuroko both bowed.

The three soon found themselves sitting around the small wooden table while Teppei's grandmother went about in the kitchen to prepare more plates. While Kuroko kept a straight face, Tomoko couldn't hide her excitement for the food—she had lost half of her toast, after all.

Teppei looked at the two with curious stares. "Is there..." he started, gaining their attentions. "Is there a reason why you guys are here? Ah, not that I mind company for breakfast, but, how did you know where I live?"

"We wanted to see you!" Tomoko replied straightforwardly. Kuroko nodded.

"Captain told us where you lived."

"Hyuuga?" Teppei blinked. He couldn't imagine the captain would just give out where he lived in random conversation.

"It took some persuading, but we prevailed at the end!" the caramel haired girl cheered, hooking arms with Kuroko with a victorious grin. After a moment of pause, Teppei laughed out loud.

"Okuma-chan's always so energetic!" he smiled. "Well then, did Hyuuga sent you guys to see me?"

"He didn't. Tomoko-san and I came on our own after hearing the story about your injury," Kuroko replied and Teppei simmered down.

"...He told you about what happened to me, didn't he? That Hyuuga. There's really nothing you guys should be worried about, I'm fine—"

"_Senpai_."

The older male stopped in surprise when Tomoko spoke up and cut him off. For as long as he's gotten to know the girl, she has never called her seniors by "senpai", saved for Izuki because of his pun mastery (and the occasional "taichou-senpai" for Hyuuga). It wasn't that she was disrespectful towards the others, but she had her own quirky way of addressing the team the way she was comfortable with.

"It's okay to not be fine sometimes!" Tomoko said with a frustrated pout. Teppei rubbed his head sheepishly and she sighed. "We didn't come here to tell you what to do and what not to do; that's not in our control. We really just wanted to come see you after what Captain told us you went through. I'm sure you know this already, but... We want to remind you that you can tell us anything. Teammates stick together and protect each other!"

Everything inside the house seemed to have gone silent as the two gave Teppei their most earnest looks. He could see the wholehearted emotions within both of their eyes and he was touched.

"You're very lucky to have such thoughtful underclassmen, Teppei-kun," his grandmother complimented as she stepped out of the kitchen with a tray of small dishes. All three of them stood up to help the old woman and she chuckled sweetly. "Thank you."

"It's nothing!" Tomoko grinned as she went to grab the last three dishes. Her mouth watered at the sight of the neatly rolled golden omelettes. "Tamagoyaki!"

"I thought I'd make something sweet in case himono and natto were too strong of flavor," the woman said. "Please, eat."

The three eagerly picked up their chopsticks. "Thanks for the food!" they chorused and dug in.

"The tamagoyaki is very good," Kuroko said, speaking the thoughts of all three of them. The old woman gave him a smile.

"It's an old Kiyoshi family secret."

"This gives me a great idea," Tomoko mused after sipping some miso soup. "I should make some for a future game!"

"Oh, that gets me excited!" Teppei agreed enthusiastically. The room then grew into a homely silence for a few minutes before he finally spoke up again. "Thank you for coming to see me," he said to both Kuroko and Tomoko sincerely. "I've decided before I came back that I'll become Seirin's support. If the team is threatened, I'll become the shield. I'll sacrifice myself any day to protect everyone. But, I'm happy to know that I'm not alone, so thank you."

"That's what teammates are for," Kuroko replied warmly.

"We'll all be protectors!" Tomoko grinned cheekily before she picked up a single natto and tried it. Her eyes immediately popped at the taste and she shakily slid the dish towards the laughing brunette. "T-This is too powerful for me... I have been defeated~!"

"Don't worry Okuma-chan! I'll protect you!" Teppei swooped down and took the natto. He eyed Kuroko's dish but before he could make a move on the boy's natto as well, it disappeared from his sight.

"The Vanishing Drive?!"

"Please don't joke about that," Kuroko droned as he swirled the sticky natto with some chopped green onions before scraping it onto his own rice. Though, a small smile was present on his face as he ate.

The old Kiyoshi woman sipped her tea and smiled to herself as she watched her grandson interact with his underclassmen. She was happy that he was surrounded with such supportive teammates. _Especially that one boy_, she raked her aged mind for a name of the bespectacled teen who would drop by every week to help out around the house when Teppei was in the hospital.

_Bless these good children._

* * *

_Before leaving the Kiyoshi household: _

_"Please take take this snack with you on the way," the grandmother said as she presented them a bowl of senbei (rice crackers). Tomoko's eyes lit up and came up to Teppei with one in hand._

_"Wow! Look at the size of this _senbei_, _senpai_!"_

* * *

**Did anyone expect Akashi and Tomoko's meeting after my spiel about not revealing it? XD Hope you guys liked the _Prince of Stride_ cameo, too! CHECK THIS OUT! :D I drew a thing: **deviantart dot com/art/Tomoko-s-Text-632268959

**Also, PLEASE leave a review ~ It gives me inspiration to update!**


	28. A Liar's Most Useful Tool

I just want to take a short moment and thank each and every one of you. Reading the reviews for this story really gives me that fuzzy feeling of happiness. As you all know, I started college recently and am currently trying my best to get used to the heavier workload. I got terribly homesick the second week and had a bit of breakdown/depressing episode for a night. However, I've recovered after relying on old and new friends, and went back to something that made me happy: writing for _Spark_! I read through all of the reviews and it cheered me up and gave me so much motivation. So thank you all!

And many thanks to the guest reviewers! I can't reply to all your reviews directly but please know that I appreciate and love all of your thoughts! Special shoutout to _Prince_—you've always made your afterthoughts on the chapter known with such enthusiasm and animation; it truly makes my day!

Please enjoy this next chapter, everyone! :D

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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**_SPARK_**

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The day of the championship league was an especially sunny one. To others, the results of this day will determine which two teams will represent Tokyo and advance to the Winter Cup, but Team Seirin had something else on their minds as well. They will be facing Kirisaki Daiichi today, after all.

The captain of Kirisaki Daiichi watched with amusement as his opponents for the day filed into the gymnasium. _What intense looks they have. It's sending chills down my spine,_ his smirk widened when some of them casted a heated look towards his team. _The secret's out of the bag, huh... Oh well. _The devious expression never left Hanamiya's face as his own team strolled into the building.

"Someone's missing," Furuhashi Kojirou commented boredly besides Hanamiya, his eyes forever blank and uninterested.

"You're right," the captain drawled. He turned to the male who was blowing up his bubblegum, "Hara, why don't you go check on that." A jacket was tossed over and a _pop_ was heard. Hara Kazuya looked up from under his lilac colored bangs.

"What should I do?" he asked, peeling the mint gum off his face.

Hanamiya grinned when he spotted the caramel haired girl running up the many steps of the building. He threw up a hand and waved dismissively as the rest of the team followed him down the hall.

"Who knows? She's a trusting target."

.

_twenty-eight_

**a liar's most useful tool**

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Tomoko had just finished texting Riko that she was right behind the team when she nearly tripped on the first step up the gymnasium from her lack of attention. She quickly dropped the phone in her bag and made her way up the cement steps. Once she reached the top, she was glad that the building wasn't teeming with people just yet; it makes it easier for her to get through the crowd before the match was suppose to start.

As she walked in, she heard a painful-sounding groan. A male was sitting on the bench next to the water fountain with his body hunched over, clutching his stomach in agony. Tomoko's salmon eyes widened and she rushed over to the male.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

He raised his head at the contact of her hand on his shoulder; she couldn't see half of his face due to the lilac colored bangs, but she saw that his lips were twisted with distress.

"S-Stomach ache," he grunted.

"I'll go get you some medicine!" Tomoko said immediately. There was room within the building for treating any minor injuries players might obtain during matches, and she was sure they had painkillers. Before she could step away from the male, he grabbed her arm and tried to stand up. With an unstable wobble, he slumped on her shoulder.

"They won't have what I need," he told her quickly.

"Eh?"

"I get these aches often and my doctor gave me a specific brand of medicine. I forgot it at home today," he let out a dry sigh before lifting his head and sitting back down on the bench. He shoved his hands in his pockets and one of them pulled back out with a few bills. "Can you help me? My medicine is over-the-counter and I think there's a drugstore around here."

Tomoko glanced at the clock on the wall and then back at the struggling stranger. The game was going to start soon, but she couldn't exactly let him sit here in pain. She bit her lips, "I..."

He grunted in pain again.

Tomoko's heart finally wavered and she sighed, taking the money and the name of the medicine. "Alright, I'll be right back!" she promised before sprinting out. Once she was out of view, the male dropped his act and pulled out something from his other pocket. He dangled the item around with two fingers.

It was Tomoko's cell phone.

"Kirisaki Daiichi owes you one," Hara snorted with a bubble blowing out of his mouth. He texted Hanamiya and looked around; more people were piling in the building now and he stood up, ready to head back to his team after a mission accomplished. He walked past a group of people from a different high school; one of them was dragging a large bag and whatever inside was struggling. Paying no heed, he continued walking.

"I wonder what he'll do with this," he mumbled at the pink device. His own phone _ping'_ed and he opened the message. Shrugging after reading it, he stepped aside to make a quick call.

Meanwhile, Kise and the Kaijo seniors were all heading in to see the game between Kirisaki Daiichi and Seirin. The blonde was in front and looked back to his slower teammates.

"Come on, hurry up~" he ushered, causing Kasamatsu to roll his eyes.

"You don't have to rush us. They're probably only doing warmups right now."

"I'm just excited!" Kise replied with a bright grin.

"Rather than that... Kasamatsu," Moriyama piped up and looked around disappointedly. "Where are all the hot girls?!"

"That's not what we're here for!"

"I'm getting pum[p]ed! I'll get all the [re]bounds!" Hayakawa shouted with his fists in the air, a determined glare on his face. Kasamatsu's eyes ticked and stormed over to the excited male.

"We're only here to _watch_! And shut up!"

To avoid being hit by the irked captain, Kise wisely took a few steps back from Hayakawa and chuckled lightly. _If I say something now I'd get hit too,_ he thought silently. Despite the racket his team was making and Kasamatsu shouting to quiet them down, he zoned into his own thoughts. Seirin and Shutoku were both playing today; he had no doubt Midorima's team will beat Senshinkan, but the game to watch was Kuroko's team against Kirisaki Daiichi.

He wasn't lying when he said he was excited, but he was also feeling unsettled.

_"—that drugstore. Do what you gotta, Eizan. Eh? Don't go overboard or you know he'll punish ya."_

Kise mindlessly turned towards a male with lilac hair leaning against the wall who was seemingly talking on the phone. He thought the male looked familiar, but didn't think much of it until the male spoke again and caused him to freeze his tracks.

_"Long caramel colored hair, wearing Seirin's uniform."_

There was no mistake—there could only be _one_ person who fitted that description. Kise marched up to the male just as he finished his conversation. The bubblegum popped onto the male's face as Kise grabbed the collar of his white t-shirt.

"What's your business with Seirin's manager?" he demanded. The male merely shrugged, unfazed by his golden glare.

"Eh? I was just talking to a friend," Hara protested with confusion lacing his voice. "I don't even know you yet you're so hostile towards me. I wonder why?"

"What the hell are you doing?!" Kasamatsu yelled. He came up to the blonde and pried his hands off the male. "Are you crazy? Let him go!"

"But he just—!"

"As I was saying, I don't know you or what you're talking about," Hara smacked the gum in his mouth before blowing another bubble. He straightened his shirt and Kise caught the small lettering on the left chest before he walked away. "My team's expecting me. See ya~"

_He's from Kirisaki Daiichi..._ Kise realized shortly and pushed past his seniors and took off running down the opposite way from where he came. "Oi, where are you going?! Kise!" His captain shouted after him but he didn't have time to explain.

_Hang on Kuma-cchi, I'm coming!_

* * *

The navy haired miracle sat down at an empty seat with a huff. He was peeved that his conniving captain had trapped him like some common sparrow and dragged him here in a bag, but he felt extra-jipped that the bait (a gravure magazine) Imayoshi used wasn't even of the model he liked.

How did the captain even make that mistake? His Horikita Mai-chan obviously had bigger boobs!

_I'm not even interested in the game,_ he grumbled and looked down at the two teams doing warmup. "Huh?"

"What is it?" Momoi asked curiously, following his gaze down to at the players on Seirin's side. Aomine shrugged.

"Nothing. They just seem awfully bloodthirsty today."

_And... _She's_ not here._

Team Seirin was doing their normal warm up routine by practicing passing, dribbling, and shooting. One ball hit the rim of the net and bounced back, causing Hyuuga to scowl. He's missed all of this shots today.

"Is Hyuuga okay?" Kogenei asked Izuki worriedly. The point guard watched the captain stalk back to grab another ball and frowned.

"I can understand his feelings... We're up against _them_ today."

Koganei grew silent with his teammates as they looked over to Kirisaki Daiichi. They can all understand why their captain was on edge. Hanamiya Makoto seemed to felt the pairs of eyes on his back and turned around.

"I hope to have a good game," he said with a deceivingly friendly smile present on his face. He glanced at Teppei, "Hey, you seem to be feeling well."

"Yeah, thanks to you," Teppei replied curtly.

Hanamiya only smiled in return and it pissed Hyuuga off. He came up to the two with furrowed brows. "You better not have forgotten what you did last year," he demanded and the sly captain chuckled.

"You can't possibly still be thinking that I did something? He just hurt himself and that had _nothing_ to do with me."

"Damn you—" Hyuuga said under his breath and took a step towards the other captain, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"He's even shittier in person. But whatever you pull..." Kagami stated with a firm glare. Kuroko also came up besides Hyuuga and mirrored the redhead's expression.

"We won't lose."

Hanamiya looked at the two first-years with delight. "Wow, what an assertive duo. There's no need to be so bitter. I just wanted to say hi, and," he pulled something out of his jacket pocket that made the team's eyes widen. He smirked and dropped the phone in Kuroko's hands. "To return this to you. Seems like _Manager-chan_ dropped it."

"_Hanamiya_," Teppei called harshly as the male was about to leave. That seemingly simple action had left the whole team shaking with rage. "What did you do?"

"You're blaming me again? Really?" Hanamiya feigned surprise, shoving his hands in his pockets with a shrug. A thoughtful smirk then crossed his features, "Though, I do _hope_ nothing happened to her."

"You bastard!" Kagami growled and lunged forward with his fist. Everyone watched in horror as it was coming close to colliding with the Kirisaki Daiichi captain's smirking face.

"Kagami, stop!" Hyuuga shouted frantically. If the fist landed, he would be throw off the court! Thankfully, Kuroko pulled on his legs and made the redhead fall face-flat onto the floor. He stood back up with a pained and pissed off glare.

"Kuroko! Why did you—!"

"Are you trying to ruin everything with your anger?" Kuroko cut him off immediately. He wasn't holding back his buring expression either and it was positively scary. "I am angry and worried about Tomoko-san too, but violence will only get you thrown off the court permanently."

"That's right," Teppei nodded firmly. "He may just be baiting us; that's just the kind of person Hanamiya is. Our fight is on the court."

Kagami took a few deep breaths and shot one last glare at the sly Kirisaki Daiichi captain before stomping back to the bench with Kuroko and the seniors following. Riko was waiting for them with a worried and pointed look.

"What the hell was that about?!" she demanded, hitting Kagami on the head for his reckless behavior. "Do you want to lose that bad?!"

"I can't blame him for it. If it weren't for us being basketball players, I would've bashed his face in as well," Hyuuga said with gritted teeth. Riko turned to him and huffed loudly.

"What in the world is going on?"

"He gave us this."

Kuroko handed the coach Tomoko's phone. Riko widened her eyes, _Okuma-chan just texted me not long ago that she was near. Those damn bastards... _The whole team was looking down with troubled rage, but she knew there wasn't anything they could do at this time other than defeat Kirisaki Daiichi in basketball. Disorder of emotions was what Hanamiya Makoto wanted by baiting her team with someone who was precious to them, however...

"We're not going to allow that bastard to get the satisfaction of seeing us squirm," she ordered as her team straightened out. "Whatever tricks they pull, we're going to stay strong and push through!"

The guys nodded, though they couldn't shake off their nerves completely... Not until they knew for sure that Tomoko was safe. Hyuuga gritted his teeth and pulled his team together, "We'll get them! Seirin, fight!"

With heated determination, Team Seirin line up across from Kirisaki Daiichi.

"The game between Seirin High and Kirisaki Daiichi High will now begin!"

* * *

Tomoko was confused when she couldn't find her phone. After a minute of searching through her bag, she let out a defeated sigh.

_No use wasting more time by looking for it,_ she thought and focused on the shelves down the aisle for the specific medicine Hara asked her to get. When she finally saw the bottle of pills at the bottom of the shelf, she grabbed it and ran to the register. _I need to get back so Riko-san and the others won't worry!_

"Will this be all?" the male behind the counter asked as he scanned the barcode. Tomoko nodded and gave him the crumpled bills. A few clicks later, she got her change and the bottle of pills was bagged. "Here you go miss. Have a good day!"

"Thank you!" she took the bag and ran towards the exit.

Tomoko didn't see the person standing in the shadows as she stepped out of the store, nor did she sense the person following her since her mind was only set on going back to the gymnasium. The person soon made his presence known when she turned down an empty street; she gasped in surprise when he grabbed her arm firmly, whipping her around to face him.

"E-Excuse me, but can you let go?" she asked with a puzzled expression. The older teenager with roguish features leered down at her and grinned when she tried to struggle free after his grip tightened.

"Are you in a rush, _baby_?" Eizan asked as he forcefully pulled her towards him and licked his chapped lips. "You know, I didn't expect you to be this attractive when I got asked this favor. I ain't regretting it."

_A 'favor'?_

"Please take your hands _off_," Tomoko glared at the male. When he didn't budge, she stomped on his feet.

"Shit!"

The male cried out and released his hold. When she ran from him, a wild smirk surfaced on his face and he pursued after her. "_Bad_ move, baby!" he laughed behind her. To Tomoko's dismay, he soon caught up to her and she found herself slammed against a wired fence.

She winced; it wasn't enough to puncture and make her bleed, but the feeling of the wires digging into her back was painful nonetheless.

"Caught ya," he leaned down to her hunched form and whispered into her ear.

Tomoko pulled back from his hot breath and eyed her surroundings for anything to grab and hit him with so she could escape. There were rocks on the ground, but they were far too small to hurt. _Only r__ocks and dirt... Wait..._

"What do you want with me?" she asked, trying to engage him in conversation so she could slowly reach down to the ground without him noticing.

"Well, I was just told to keep you busy... But I think I know something that'll keep us _both_ doing just that," Eizan grinned ferally when Tomoko shut her eyes tightly. "Don't worry, you'll like it soon enough—" Before he could make another move towards her, a fistful of dirt exploded on his face.

"AGH!" he shouted at the stinging sensation in his eyes. Tomoko crawled out under him but he was able to latched onto her arm before she could fully escape.

"Let me go!" she shouted in frustration.

"You're gonna pay for this stunt you pulled!" his horribly irritated eyes glared down at her, his grip painfully tight on her arm. His other hand swung towards Tomoko and she braced herself for the pain...

...But it never came.

"You have a _problem_, pretty boy?!"

Tomoko realized that there was another person with them and when she opened her eyes, she was both shocked and relieved to see who it was.

"Kise-kun...?" she breathed.

"Sorry I didn't come sooner, Kuma-cchi," Kise said to the wide-eyed girl, his voice was filled with sorrow and regret.

He pulled Tomoko to his body protectively and his face darkened with contempt at the male before him. He was still holding onto the hand that was about to come down on his precious Tomoko, and he felt deeply satisfied at the sound of anguish when he turned the male's arm in a painful twist without much effort. "Don't you _dare_ touch her again," he growled dangerously as he harshly pushed the now-trembling male to the ground. "Leave now or I'll _break_ your arm next."

Kise Ryouta may not look like the muscle type, but many years of basketball practice and additional workout to keep his body in shape for modeling made him a hell lot stronger than he looked. The dark aura that was burning from his golden eyes could possibly kill as well. To a low-life like Eizan who enjoyed picking on the weak, he was no match up.

"C-Che! You'll regret this!" Eizan shouted before scurrying away with his badly-injured limb. Once he was gone completely, Tomoko sighed in relief and looked up to Kise just as his face contorted into an emotional pout.

"Whew! That was a close one—"

"Kuma-cchi! I was so scared that something bad was gonna happen to you! Don't ever run off trusting someone so easily like that again! _Especially_ someone from Kirisaki Daiichi!" he cried, hugging the girl tightly in his arms, as if he was afraid that she would disappear if he let go.

Tomoko blinked with a warm blush on her face, and then she felt wetness on her shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry..." she whispered uncertainly. A small smile then rose on her lips as she patted the blonde's back gently. Truth to be told, she was terrified of what would've happened to her if Kise hadn't shown up in time... Now that she knew her mistake of trusting someone from the Kirisaki Daiichi team, she was more angry at herself for falling so easily into their trap.

"Please don't scare me like that ever again," he sniffed and Tomoko laughed softly, wiping a stray tear from the corner of his eye. His golden pools were big and puppy-like when he pouted at her. "Geez, I look so uncool right now!" he complained.

_But I can't help it when I'm around you..._

The caramel haired girl shook her head. "You were very cool saving me back there!" she told him with a seriously in-awe expression. "Maybe I didn't look 'delinquent-like' enough to ward that guy off," she joked afterwards, trying to cheer the guilt-stricken blonde as she referred to the comment he made to her a while back about her appearance.

Kise stood there dazed for a second before a laugh escaped his lips. He wanted to know how someone could be so brave and strong enough to brush off dangerous situations like this one without a bat of an eye. She always put others before herself and that would be her downfall...

"The match is still going on!" Tomoko piped suddenly, tugging on Kise's hand. "I need to get back so Kirisaki Daiichi won't have have the upper hand against us anymore!"

"W-Wait!" Kise cried as he ran behind her, warmth spreading across his face when he realized that she was still holding onto his hand. She then inclined her head back at him for a second to give him a genuinely thankful smile.

"Kise-kun... Thank you for coming."

_I think... I seriously like you, _Kise thought in silence as he stared at her. He then returned the smile with his signature charming one. "I'll always come to protect you, Kuma-cchi," he told her, bringing her hand to his lips. "_Always_."

Tomoko was left momentarily speechless as her heart palpitated to her ears.

* * *

"I can't allow you to enter in the middle of a game. It'll distract the players."

"But I'm with the team that's playing right now; I'm their manager!" Tomoko protested, not willing to give up. She and Kise had finally made it to the gymnasium, but as she tried to enter the entrance into the main court, she was stopped by the old staff member stationed there.

"I'm sorry miss, but you'll have to wait until halftime."

Kise pulled the pouting girl to the side and shook his head. "It's no use, Kuma-cchi. The rules are especially enforced now because of the upcoming Winter Cup. It's the biggest event in basketball, after all, and they're taking every precaution," he told her and a thoughtful smile tugged on his lips. "Come sit with me and Kasamatsu-senpai! We can cheer for Kuroko-cchi from the stands until halftime!"

Seeing that what the blonde said made a lot of sense, Tomoko sighed and agreed to follow the zealous male towards the audience entrance. They looked around for his team, and when Kise spotted the black haired captain and his teammates, he hollered for all to hear.

"Kasamatsu-senpai~!"

"_Kise_?!" the captain snapped his head towards the noise and an angry scowl made its way to his face. He had a fist-in-the-face in mind for the blonde when he finally noticed the Seirin manager trailing behind. "W-Why are you with Okuma-san?!"

"You're so sly, Kise!" Moriyama complained with disbelief. "You left us to steal Seirin's cute manager!"

"Cou[l]d this be for[b]idden love?!" Hayakawa exclaimed excitedly, his eyes dashing from his underclassman to the girl.

"Ah! That's not why I ran off!" Kise wailed and cowered behind Tomoko as animate tears flooded out of his eyes, "Kuma-cchi, I'm being falsely accused!"

As Tomoko quickly tried to explain what happened and how Kise had actually helped her out of the situation (dismissing Moriyama's impression that Kise had _tried_ to elope with her but got unceremoniously rejected and that's why they came back), the team simmered down and actually looked at Kise in a different light. That, of course, was before Kasamatsu's foot landed smack in the middle of the blonde's back anyway.

"Why?!" Kise cried, now on the ground.

The captain glared at him before looking away with a huff. "If that was the case, then you should've told us something! Don't make the team worry!"

Kise blinked a few times before he stood up and flashed Kasamatsu his emotional puppy eyes. He could die happy knowing that the captain he looked up to was worried about him. "S-Senpai—"

"Even if it was more peaceful without you around," Kasamatsu grunted immediately after and sat down at his seat like nothing happened. Crushed by the captain's words again, Kise could only turn to Tomoko for comfort and she patted his shoulder with solace. "How does Okuma-san even tolerate you?"

Tomoko actually gave the question a thought. "Kise-kun kind of reminds me of someone," she giggled. "So I don't mind."

"Kuma-cchi~!"

"I-Is that so..." Kasamatsu stuttered when he realized that Tomoko had answered him. He adverted his gaze back to the court. "Anyway! Are you guys gonna watch the game or what?" he shouted.

"Come sit next to me~" Moriyama offered the girl as the team settled down, a wave of imaginary sparkles and flowers blossomed around him. "I'll promise to play our next game for you, my beautiful—"

"I'm going to sit by Kasa-kun," Tomoko obliviously rejected the third-year as she stepped over towards the blushing and confused captain. "This seat is near the aisle so I can return to my team faster when halftime comes!"

This time, Kise patted the crushed third-year's shoulder in sympathy.

"...How's the game going?" Tomoko asked as she settled down, however, her voice was hesitant as if she didn't want to hear the answer to that.

Kasamatsu's nerves finally calmed down with the seriousness of the situation, and his facial expression turned grim.

"Kirisaki Daiichi's playing dirty and No. 7 has taken the brunt of their underhanded plays because he took it upon himself to guard the inside alone. Seirin's barely scraping by."

"What..." her salmon eyes scanned the players on the court and widened when she saw what Kasamatsu was talking about. The brunette center's body was littered with bruises and other injuries. None of the could have been accidents, but because the referee's view was always blocked when the blows were initiated, they couldn't do anything about it.

_"I'll sacrifice myself any day to protect everyone."_

Tomoko's eyes stung red and her hands clenched tightly as Teppei's words from the other day replayed back in her head. The two teams' scores were constantly fluctuating; while Hyuuga tried to score more from the outside, the nagging worry and anger got the best of him and he wasn't able to make his shots. This left the brunette center fighting for the rebound with two other Kirisaki Daiichi players, and Tomoko can only bite her lips as she watched her senior get elbowed and pushed around.

"T-They're terrible... How can they play like this..."

"Hanamiya's a dangerous opponent... Yet Kiyoshi is willing to protect his teammates to this extent," Kasamatsu said; he was feeling both respect for Teppei and disgust for Hanamiya's team.

"Kiyoshi-san..." Tomoko winced when a particularly hard blow landed on the center's stomach, causing him to clutch it painfully but continue on to the next play. _Please hang in there..._

All she could do was pray helplessly. She _hated_ it.

* * *

Just seconds before the end of second quarter—Seirin had managed to lead by five points—Aomine stood up with his hands in his pockets.

"Oi! Where are you going?" Wakamatsu jumped up from his seat as well. He wasn't going to let the miracle just walk out when he and his teammates spent all that energy dragging him here. _Literally_.

"Bathroom," Aomine muttered as the buzzer sounded.

People around him started to converse and walk about as the teams down below got their ten minutes for halftime. He made his way down the bleachers with an apathetic frown, his focus was solely on getting to the damn bathroom.

Someone hastily shuffled past him and he was about to give them a piece of his mind for pushing him when his navy eyes met with salmon ones. His eyes widened when he noticed that they were full of anger and distress.

"Oi... Are you okay?"

"Aomine-kun!" Tomoko snapped out of her turmoil of emotions and blinked up at the miracle like she hadn't seen him earlier. "Sorry, I didn't see you."

"I didn't see you either. At Seirin's bench, I mean," he corrected. He noticed that her whole demeanor stiffened as she clenched her fists at her sides. _She's upset... _Something in him nagged at him to console her, but it wasn't like he knew _how_.

Before Tomoko replied him, they both heard a loud sneer from the court and turned to see a seething Hanamiya glaring daggers at Kuroko after roughly bumping into the boy. They were close enough to the two to hear their conversation.

"Why do you play in such an underhanded way?" Kuroko asked Hanamiya, making the captain turn with a raised brow. "Do you really enjoy winning like that?"

Hanamiya clutched the front of his jersey as his expression dampened, his eyes concealed by his dark bangs. "Of course not," he said painstakingly. "But if I don't do it, how am I supposed to beat teams with members of the Generation of Miracles? I made a _promise_... A promise that I'll place first in the Winter Cup and..."

Aomine could see that his former partner looked almost sympathetic towards the shady captain until a mocking chuckle filled the the court.

"...I'm kidding, idiot!" Hanamiya stuck his tongue out to taunt the ridiculous idea that _he_ would have any bit of compassion. "They say the misfortune of others tastes like honey. Don't get the wrong idea, goody-two-shoes. I don't want to win. I want to see guys who've worked hard and devoted their youth to basketball grind their teeth as they lose."

Kuroko widened his eyes as the captain leaned forward towards him. "Do I enjoy it? Yeah, I do," his taunting smirk had stretched across his face, "What I did to your seniors last year was a _masterpiece_."

"How... How can you say something like that as if it's nothing?!"

It was Tomoko who shouted angrily from the stands, diverting everyone's attention towards her and Aomine. Kagami, while being held back by Izuki to prevent him from lashing out at the captain again, stopped struggling as he and the rest grew relieved that she was fine.

"Manager-chan's here already..." Hanamiya ignored the fuming girl's outburst and scowled internally. He directed a cruel sneer back at Team Seirin, "Look at that, she came back just fine. But for your case, I hope you don't think that's the end of it. You're only just starting to grind your teeth."

"Oi..." Aomine grew irritated because he knew at least whatever intentions Hanamiya had for the girl was what caused her to not be present for the first half of the game. It was the captain's way of injecting fear, like venom, into his prey to keep them firmly trapped when the web is spun...

Tomoko's return was like rain dropping onto the forming web; while she couldn't destroy it, she weakened it.

"Oh, did you get my medicine?" Hara suddenly piped as the rest of Kirisaki Daiichi strolled towards their locker room. He blew a bubble as he looked at Tomoko. "Maybe you should give 'em to No. 7 since _his_ condition looks worst than mine," he joked cheerfully, causing Tomoko lower her head in frustrated shame.

_He makes me wanna crack his face open,_ the navy haired miracle twitched darkly at the gum-chewing freak. His eyes traveled towards Kuroko; what he saw made his temper simmer just slightly. _But...__ It looks like this __is the end for Kirisaki Daiichi._

* * *

"I'm sorry!"

The team took a step back as Tomoko bowed in front of them as soon as they reached the locker room. The caramel haired girl was trembling with unshed tears.

"O-Okuma-chan! Why are you apologizing?!" Koganei cried.

"Because I was stupid and allowed the other team take advantage of me. I made you guys worry, and they did such horrible things to Kiyoshi-san..." she replied, gritting her teeth with self-blame. She looked up when she suddenly felt a hand on top of her head. Teppei smiled down at her.

"You're a kind-hearted girl. We can't blame you for that, so don't cry, okay? We haven't lost."

"But your injuries..." Tomoko sniffed.

"Don't put the blame on yourself, brat! It's not your fault," Kagami grunted and looked away. By the look on his face, 'pissed off' didn't even begin to describe what he felt towards Hanamiya and his wicked team, and he was tempted to kick something to release some anger. "It's those bastards..." he eyed the bench in front of him.

"Don't even think about it!" Riko came up besides the redhead and bopped his head with her clipboard. "We don't have the funds to pay for damage, Bakagmi."

"Ugh! I'm just so angry!"

_Hanamiya's got the whole team riled up just like he wanted,_ she scanned across the locker room. Her team was unraveling with the guilt that Hanamiya had caused. Her lips set into a tight line as her eyes landed on Teppei's injuries, which was being tended by their equally guilt-ridden manager.

"It's fine," the brunette reassured the girl as he took the ice pack and held it against his bruised arm. "This is what I came back for."

_"This is what I came back for. If you switch me out now, I'll hate you for the rest of my life."_

Riko was immediately reminded of what the center declared to her during the game when she threatened to pull him out. She looked away sadly; like the team, she was frustrated and furious because she didn't know what she could do.

_If anything, I should be sorry... Not Okuma-chan._

Meanwhile, Kagami sat down lividly next to Kuroko who hasn't uttered a single word since they left the court. It wasn't weird that the shadow was quiet, but in this situation it was because usually he'd be the first one to console Tomoko. He hasn't even _looked_ her way yet.

"Kuroko, I'm amazed you're so calm—"

A chill ran down Kagami's body as he gulped at Kuroko's current disposition. It was as if the shadow's expression could make the entire earth freeze over with dreadful gloom. Kagami has never seen him so... _Furious_.

At that moment, he knew Hanamiya and that bubblegum freak had made a mistake in taunting Kuroko and everything that was precious to him.

* * *

While the rest of Kirisaki Daiichi rested in their locker room to discuss about cracking Kuroko's drive. Hanamiya was using the restroom and silently planning. He heard the door open and when he looked up, he was greeted with Aomine Daiki's cold navy eyes.

"I didn't think I'd see you here," Hanamiya zipped up as the tanned miracle walked over to use one of the urinals. "The _a__ce_ of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki."

Aomine's frown only deepened. "It's only you."

"You're as rude as ever," the older male replied as he went to wash his hands. "Be polite when you talk."

"You're the one who's playing as dishonestly as ever."

"Dishonestly? That's just bait so we can trap them. I didn't think someone like you would care anyway," Hanamiya chuckled. "Why, are you starting to care about Seirin?"

"That's none of your business," Aomine droned, a flash of contempt rose in his eyes that was left unseen by the other male. Gladly so, because one look at that snide face just might promote him to practice some punches. "Just know that you're gonna lose this game."

The laugh that left Hanamiya's lips was of mocking disbelief. He wiped his hands before shoving them in his pockets and walked towards the door.

"You're underestimating me. In fact, I wish you'd tell me how I could lose. They'll be trash after this is over... Touou wouldn't even have the chance to pick up the pieces."

Aomine looked hardly amused as he cleaned up. "As much as I'd like to pummel you in a match, Tetsu will be doing it for me today. You've made him angry, and that's all there is to it."

"Really..." Hanamiya challenged as he walked out.

* * *

Once the players filed back into the court, the referee motioned for them to get into position and the match resumed. The first ball went to Kuroko and every player who knows anticipated for the boy's Vanishing Drive when he caught the ball.

Hara immediately pushed Yamazaki, who was originally marking Kuroko, out of the way. _It's about blinking, isn't it? He predicts a blink with his exceptional powers of observation. The moment his opponent's eyes close, he ducks in, _Hara smirked with a bubble coming out of his mouth, thinking that he's got Kuroko's Vanishing Drive figured out. It was only logical, after all. _Once you know the trick, stopping it is easy._

"He's waiting longer than usual," Furihata commented as he watched Yamazaki sneak up behind the boy. "Come on, Kuroko!"

In a flash, the shadow disappeared from both Hara and Yamazaki and headed towards the basket, shocking his two marks as he tossed the ball up towards Kagami. The redhead easily dunked it.

"Nice job, Kagami, Kuroko!" Hyuuga said as they headed towards the other side. Kuroko had a grim face.

"Don't you think it's a bit much to jump over someone?" he asked Kagami, and the redhead raised his brows with bewilderment.

"Ha? You were the one who passed like that!"

Yamazaki growled at the duo, clearly pissed. What happened just now wasn't like what they had predicted. "Don't you go for the drive when your opponent blinks?"

"Eh?" Kuroko sounded genuinely surprised. "I do?"

The Kirisaki Daiichi shooting guard glared daggers at Hara, who had turned away and tried to laugh off the embarrassment at his misconception of the drive. As they argued, the referee called a switch on Seirin's side. Riko had pulled Kuroko out and put in Koganei; the teams who've played Seirin before knew that the coach was saving the boy's abilities for later, since he can't use his misdirection all the time.

At the same time, Hanamiya called forth the sleeping person from the bench to replace Matsumoto Itsuki, their first string center. Waking up, the person peeled off his eye mask and pulled out a small purple container of hair gel.

Tomoko eyed the new guy with scrutiny as he slicked his hair back. If he was anything like the other players on Kirisaki Daiichi, then it wouldn't matter who they subbed in, because Teppei will still get hurt. She found herself clenching her fists tightly together for the hundredth time.

* * *

"Wait a second... Hanamiya-san just gave an order," Sakurai pointed out. Now that he's thinking about it, he hasn't really seen the coach around for Kirisaki Daiichi, and everyone seemed to just listen to the captain without a problem. "The coach must really believe in him."

Imayoshi quickly rejected Sakurai's assumption, "No, no. I don't know what happened but their coach quit last year. Now he's the captain _and_ the coach."

Though he said he didn't know, the Touou captain has known Hanamiya long enough—they went to the same middle school, after all—to infer that something was done to the previous coach that caused the man to quit. He might be coerced, blackmailed, mentally scarred...

_You just never know with Hanamiya Makoto. He's really a genius who fitted the "Bad Boy" nickname._

* * *

Tomoko and Riko were relieved when the new center, Seto Kentarou, didn't resort to hurting when he went for the rebound. However, their troubles were far from over...

While Seto was less aggressive than Matsumoto, his addition seemed to have changed the flow of the game. For some reason, Izuki couldn't make a move without the ball being stolen. He was an exceptional point guard who was great at assessing all of the best possible passes, but no matter what he did, Hanamiya was one step faster and intercepted his passes every time.

Seirin was growing more and more irritated with each steal.

"We haven't gained a single point since No. 5 came in. It's almost like..." Tomoko searched for a reason as she watched. There it was again, right before Izuki moved, Seto headed the other way and Hanamiya was able to successfully steal the ball once again. She widened her eyes, "He's assisting Hanamiya-san with the prediction of our pass course."

"Okuma-chan..." Riko pondered over it and determined that it was indeed the case. The frown on her face deepened. _The more he steals, the angrier and clumsier we get..._ "We're in trouble then. Hanamiya's got us caught in his web."

The buzzer sounded to indicate the end of third quarter. It went by all too fast; Kirisaki Daiichi had boosted their score to 58 while Seirin's score remained at 47.

"Damn it!" Izuki slammed his hands on the bench when he came back. The frustration of being bested at all of his passes was getting to him. He was letting the team down!

_We should still be able to score from the outside,_ Riko thought seriously as she looked at Hyuuga. _But we made one other miscalculation in this game. Hyuuga hasn't made a single shot today._

"I think I've got it," Kuroko replied after the silence had engulfed his team. He has been analyzing the game the entire third quarter, and after what Tomoko said, he was able to finalize his tactic. "We may be able to break free...

"...If I stop playing with the team."

* * *

_"I don't care if they're geniuses or prodigies. Break them, and they're all just trash."_

_-Hanamiya Makoto_

* * *

**Please review!**


	29. We're Not Scared

College has been going well, but it's been keeping me busy. I'm still in the midst of my many midterms so I wanted to sneak this update in before I forget about it c: Also, I've read all of your reviews—thank y'all for being so encouraging and supporting! It truly made me happy. I have the best readers/fans ever ~ so here's a longer update to make up for the long wait!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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**_SPARK_**

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_Stop playing with the team? _

Tomoko's eyes followed the blue haired boy as he got into position in the court. Though Kuroko didn't reveal the details of his tactic, he had meant exactly what he said. The team was to play like they normally do, and Kuroko was going to move around independently.

It was hard to wrap her head around at first. Teamwork was the foundation of Seirin's plays, but because of that, Kirisaki Daiichi had exposed it as a weakness...

Tomoko then finally understood when Izuki made a move to pass to Teppei. Hanamiya had predicted this and was ready to intercept the pass when the ball suddenly changed courses and shot towards a surprised Kagami—he reacted quickly enough to receive the ball and made a crowd-pleasing dunk.

"Nice!" Hyuuga gave Kuroko a friendly slap on the shoulder as he ran past; he was grinning, both from seeing the shocked expression on Hanamiya's face from being outwitted and from the comeback basket.

Riko sigh in relief; whatever past worry about the plan being a big gamble was no longer in her mindsets as she assessed the aftereffect. "Hanamiya _did_ predict the best route that Izuki-kun was going for and had moved accordingly. In theory, he had a one-hundred percent chance at stealing the ball..."

"But his predictions won't matter anymore," Tomoko looked at the team with a grin reaching her own face. "Not when there's a shadow ahead of him."

* * *

"I can't believe it," Imayoshi commented while thoroughly impressed. "That attack was nothing short of exciting. Kuroko's intermediate passes have always been team plays until now. Even if they seem like unexpected trick plays to their opponents, they're actually well established attack patterns to his team," he explained to Sakurai, who didn't quite catch what Kuroko did as anything than the norm.

"So that pass..." the boy widened his eyes as Imayoshi nodded.

"It wasn't built into an attack pattern. His teammates didn't know about that pass. In other words, Kuroko changed the pass course on his own. Not even Hanamiya can predict a pass _his teammates_ aren't expecting."

While the explanation allowed Sakurai to understand the _what_, or concept of the pass, he was still confused on the _how_. It was almost unbelievable, unheard of even, on how anyone would be able to catch a pass they weren't prepared for.

"But how did Kagami catch that pass?!"

"He just did."

Sakurai's chocolate eyes flitted to Aomine when he spoke up. The pass hardly surprised the tanned miracle, seeing that he was staring at the game with a bored expression.

"When you practice with him every day, you start to understand how Tetsu thinks. What you need isn't logic," he explained as Kuroko intercepted Hanamiya again and rerouted the ball to Teppei. "It's trust."

Momoi looked at Aomine as the crowd around them cheered for Seirin. She couldn't help but think that the trust Kagami has for Kuroko now was what the Generation of Miracles had as well... Back before everything changed.

* * *

"The gap is finally closing!" Tomoko cheered for her team as the score pulled up to a five-point difference with half of the quarter left.

"We need one more push..." Riko said from besides her, her eyes filled with hope at Hyuuga as he tried to shoot from the outside again. The ball slammed at the rim before bouncing off.

"He missed!"

All eyes immediately darted to the players under the net for the rebound. Seto and Furuhashi was double teaming Teppei as the ball came down. Tomoko and the rest of the team watched in horror as the two Kirisaki Daiichi players resumed their rough play on the brunette center and rendered him unable to move towards the ball.

"The referee couldn't see that...!" Tomoko gritted as the brunette ran after Seto and Furuhashi, obviously injured. _They can't keep doing this... _She turned to Riko and saw that the coach had a conflicted expression on her face as well. "Riko-san?" she hoped that the coach was thinking the same thing as her.

Riko let out a finalizing sigh and walked up to the referee. After a few seconds, the buzzer buzzed.

"Seirin, time out."

As the five players came back to the bench with surprise, Riko only look at them with stern and concerned eyes. "There are a few things I want to say, but..." she looked straight at Teppei. "First, you're at your limit. You're out, Teppei."

The brunette center immediately stood up with protest. "What? Wait a minute! We just have a little more left! If you take me out now—"

"Please listen to Riko-san," Tomoko said in agreement with the coach. She could barely look at all of the injuries the center bore without a wash of sadness and anger, but her salmon eyes bore into his dark, soulful ones. "It's not fair... Didn't we agree that we'll _all_ be protectors?"

"Okuma-chan..."

"I don't want a repeat of last year," Riko was biting her lips as she made up her mind. "You can hate me for pulling you out. I'd rather have that than see you injured like that again."

Guilt struck Teppei; he could see that his words earlier had hurt the coach deeply.

"I agree."

Turning around, he was surprised to hear that even Kuroko was speaking up. "I don't have an older brother, but when you said you'd protect us, you seemed like one. It made me happy. That's why... I want you to keep protecting us. I don't want you to push yourself any harder in this game."

"Please let us protect you this one time," Tomoko added while fighting away her tears. "So that you can continue to protect us in the future!"

Teppei turned silent as all of the heartfelt emotions poured into his being. It hit him then that his way of protection would only harm the team if he repeated what happened last year. _It's what we all want, isn't it? We all want to protect each other..._ he looked from Tomoko, to Riko, to Kuroko, to the rest of his team. When his eyes traveled to Hyuuga, the captain's sharp olive green glaze suddenly locked onto his.

"I'm sick of this!" Hyuuga stood up with a scowl. "Don't you get it?! We're telling you to leave the rest to us! Shut up and sit down!" he snapped. "Do you think we'd break our promise?"

_"If you insist on coming back, then... We'll become the best team in Japan next year." _

It was the short conversation they shared during the brunette center's stay at the hospital. Because of the seriousness of the injury, Teppei hadn't been able to come back until this year with rehab, and so the captain had promised to set the goal for this year.

Mitobe came up and stretched out his hand for Teppei. The gentle male may be silent, but his eyes and action conveyed it all. Everyones' did. Teppei looked at his own hands and nodded. "You're right. The rest is up to you," he exchanged a slap with Mitobe, and the team brightened up with renewed energy.

"Of course it is, moron!" Hyuuga scoffed with his back to the brunette and marched out to the court. "Stay there and wait like a good little boy! We'll bring you back a ticket to the Winter Cup!"

* * *

The audience cheered as the match resumed. Kasamatsu leaned forward slightly at Seirin's new lineup of players.

"They took out No. 7?"

"He's been the focus of the rough play," Kise replied with an understanding expression. Even _he_ couldn't bare to watch it, and he was glad that the second-year center was out of the game. His eyes traveled to the players. "But with him out... Is this going to break Seirin?"

"No," Kasamatsu watched the teams play before shaking his read, surprising the blonde. "It might be the reason they won't break."

"Eh?"

Down below, Izuki analyzed his surroundings with a newfound calmness. He will make his pass like usual, and while he didn't know where Kuroko will show up, he knew the ball wouldn't end up in Kirisaki Daiichi's hands. His intended receiver was...

_It went through! _He sighed in relief as Hyuuga caught the ball after Kuroko diverted it. But it wasn't enough yet; Hyuuga went for the three-pointer only for the ball to bounce back with that increasingly familiar bang. _Without Hyuuga's threes, we can't make it, _Izuki thought as the team ran to the other side to defend the net as Kirisaki Daiichi drew closer. Even he could tell that the audience were confused at Seirin's best shooter's behavior.

_We just need to wait for it... _

Hyuuga got the ball again and called for Mitobe, but he stopped short as two players surrounded the center and Hanamiya appeared before him.

"You think you can do anything without Kiyoshi?" the Kirisaki Daiichi captain drawled with a smirk. "Who's next after that piece of junk?"

"I'm going to get you, Hanamiya," Hyuuga growled with anger, "I promise you won't get away with this!"

He suddenly lost control of the ball when Hanamiya touched it with the tip of his fingers, and both males ran after it as the ball bounced towards the outside of the court.

"Out of bounds, white ball!" the referee called.

* * *

"What do you think, Sakurai?" Wakamatsu asked the soft-spoken boy as they watched from their spot in the bleachers. He was kind of surprised and irritated that the usually precise Seirin captain would miss every one of his shots today. It was like watching a fly struggle in a web helplessly.

"His shoulders are tenser than usual. It's like he's overexcited. Three-pointers that require a delicate touch are a matter of chance, so no matter how good the shot, sometimes they just don't go in," Sakurai replied, not looking away from the captain. "However, once you make one, it's doesn't stop. He's especially like that."

After the ball was passed back in, the Seirin captain claimed possession of it again and Sakurai couldn't help but think that the air around the male suddenly shifted in that short period of time.

_Huh? Tension seemed to have disappeared from him... It's like he's composed himself._

"Another miss?" Wakamatsu muttered when he saw the captain go for a three-pointer again.

"Just the opposite... It's perfect," Sakurai's chocolate eyes followed the ball as it soared towards the net. "It _can't_ miss."

* * *

Both the crowd and Seirin's sidelines roared with life when Hyuuga finally made his shot.

"He made the shot," Kise widened his eyes with awe.

"They didn't break," Kasamatsu said. He could almost sigh with relief for Seirin; he could clearly see that the inside's confidence rose back to their usual state, if not higher, with that defining basket from the outside. "Kuroko broke the strands of Hanamiya's web, and Hyuuga's three freed the team."

* * *

"We're making a comeback! Hyuuga-senpai's three was so cool!"

"Winter Cup is right in front of us!"

Tomoko smiled for the first time since the match. She hadn't realized how tense she was until she felt her shoulders loosen after Hyuuga's successful shot, and now the feeling of restrictions tugging at her mind and heart had broken away. She turned to Riko and Teppei, "This is great!"

"We're going to be okay," Teppei said before his brows furrowed apologetically at Tomoko and the coach. "Sorry for making the team worry... And Riko, I'm sorry for talking to you like that."

Riko only shook her head. "I understand how you feel," she said. "It's just like Okuma-chan said; we all want to protect the team. The reason the damage to the rest of the team has been so light against such a violent team is because you protected them, Teppei."

"But the way Hanamiya-san's playing is still inexcusable..." Tomoko muttered. As long as the second-year captain was on on the court, there was no telling what other tricks he and his team will pull.

Furuhashi had possession of the ball thanks to his teammates screening Izuki, and she widened her eyes when he passed the ball to his brooding captain—he knew Kuroko was right behind and all of her teammates could see what he was about to do next.

"_Watch out_!" her mouth moved faster than her processing brain. She nearly had a heartattack when Hanamiya's elbows came down—luckily, it was met with empty air since as taken off-guard as Kuroko was, he moved just in time.

"H-He dodged it!" Kawahara cried and relief momentarily washed over her team. On the other hand, Hanamiya and his team were surprised.

"If only _you_ weren't here...!"

Hanamiya was gritting his teeth with his head down, emitting both frustration and anger towards the shadow as the court froze in a standstill. Suddenly, he raised his head with a sadistic expression; he was reeling in everyone's shock.

"Just kidding, idiot! Your team's going down!" he mocked before passing Kuroko and ran towards the net.

"The only thing he does..." Tomoko's heart was pounding in her throat. The devious captain's every move was pissing her off more and more and she knew he had no means of stopping. "... is messing with everyone's emotions!"

"This is how Hanamiya plays," Teppei said, setting his large hand on top of Tomoko's seething head. She relaxed under his touch, but her face was still scrunched in an annoyed way. "Despite his underhanded ways, Hanamiya _is _an exceptional player."

Tomoko pouted, "I don't see how..." Just as she said that, Hanamiya jumped incredibly early due to Mitobe and Hyuuga ganging up on him before he could reach the net. It didn't look like he would make it because of the early jump, but he surprised her when he rotated his hand from a layup to a teardrop.

The scoreboard buzzed with the new score; 69 to 70 in Kirisaki Daiichi's favor, and there was only 44 seconds left to the game.

"His talent doesn't only involve stealing the ball, and he doesn't need to play aggressively to score," Teppei explained to the stricken girl. "He can actually score whenever he wants."

"If I win, either way, it's game over for your dreams." She heard Hanamiya flaunt when he was near Kuroko again. "It'll be the end of your disgusting little game of friendship, too."

_He mocks people to add salt to injury, _Tomoko thought with a deep frown. _The only thing that's disgusting is the way he's treating his opponents...!_

"Don't be ridiculous."

Kuroko was furious if the tone of his voice was any indication. The blue haired shadow rarely expressed his anger with this much verbal force—Hanamiya really drew it out of him and he was prepared to fight with everything he's got. The shady captain's eyes widened as the air around them shifted.

"I chose to fight because I thought the Generation of Miracles' basketball was wrong. But they'd never do anything underhanded like you," he gritted out as his mind flashed to everyone on the Seirin team. "With your style, don't get in the way of our, of the seniors'—of everyone's—dreams!"

Hanamiya couldn't react when the ball shot past inches from his face; the force almost imitated a brewing storm, and like a tornado, the ball curved upwards towards the hoop.

"Jam it in, Kagami!" Teppei stood from his seat and shouted as the redhead jumped to reach the ball. The message was heard loud and clear, and within seconds, the ball came down the basket with a deafening slam.

The rest was history.

"Another comeback!" Fukuda shouted along his teammates as the time ticked away with each score.

"Amazing!"

_76 to 70. _

"That's..." Tomoko blinked away all of the negative feelings within her and jumped up as the final buzzer finally rang throughout the court. "We did it!" she and the rest ran towards her cheering teammates.

"We're going to the Winter Cup!" Kagami shouted as Tomoko glumped him. "Y-Yah!"

"We're going to the Winter Cup!" Tomoko repeated with a grin. Blinking at her, the redhead grumbled a few things under his breath and finally hugged back. It only lasted a few seconds but it made Tomoko almost burst with happiness even as she was pushed away just as quickly towards Kuroko.

"Tomoko-san..." Kuroko, unlike Kagami, didn't protest as she wrapped her arms around him. He openly enjoyed it, in fact. Since the girl's return towards the second half of the game, he hadn't been able to properly talk to her because of the situation at hand. But now, all he wanted to do was stay like this for a little longer.

"I'm so happy you didn't get hurt."

Kuroko smiled as he heard that in the midst of loud cheers. "Yeah," he said softly as he hugged her back. She was always so caring and selfless it made his heart ache. Little did the girl know, _he_ was more relieved that she came back safe and sound from Hanamiya's devious plan. "Me too."

Next to them, Hyuuga stared at Teppei for a while before stubbornly lifting up his hand for the smiling center. Their resounding clap made the entire team swell with happiness.

_I think this is the first time I've seen them do that,_ Tomoko mused silently when she saw Riko weld up in tears. _But I have a feeling it won't be the last._

"I lost, Seirin."

Hanamiya suddenly came up to the celebrating team. His dark bangs hid the defeated look on his face. Even so, Tomoko regarded him suspiciously when he address her senior and she moved over towards them.

"And Kiyoshi... I'm sorry for everything..."

"...'Just kidding', right?" she finished boldly before the captain could. He raised his head with a shocked glare at her direction. Oppositely, her own expression was calm. "It doesn't feel so good when it happens to you, does it, Hanamiya-san?"

Hanamiya gritted his teeth and an angry scowl crawled to his lips. "As if I care! Idiots! You're the first ones to ruin my plans this badly... I'll make you regret it for the rest of your lives. Next time, I'll crush you!"

"Hanamiya..." Teppei addressed the furious captain, making him the target of the aggressive glare. He only smiled. "The last shot you made... I thought it was amazing. Let's play again."

The Kirisaki Daiichi captain scowled with disbelief. Whether the brunette was playing with him or just stupidly kind—he _knew_ it was the latter—it was still a low blow to his ego. It made him look absolutely ridiculous! "You're all ridiculous... Damn it. Damn it!" he shouted.

His team could only sigh at the defeat and tried to calm their captain down.

* * *

"Seirin made it," Kasamatsu commented as he looked at the opposite court where Shutoku and Senshinkan was playing. Their game hasn't finished yet, but it was obvious who the winner would be. "With this lineup, this year's Winter Cup is going to be the most intense one yet."

_Every one of the Generation of Miracles, including the phantom sixth man, is going to be participating. _

Usually, Kise would be ecstatic after Seirin's win, but right now, he couldn't get the image of his former teammate and the Seirin manager hugging so intimately without something akin to annoyance bubble in the pit of his stomach. Sure, he's seen the girl hug all of her teammates numerous times indiscriminately, but he realized the phantom sixth man's feelings, just like the rest of his former teammates', held more than _just_ camaraderie.

Although Kise genuinely liked Kuroko and respected him greatly, this was something he won't give up to _anyone_.

"Kuroko-cchi..."

Kasamatsu turned towards the blonde with a questioning stare, but he immediately understood and scoffed. "Save your determination for our match against them. They're going to be even stronger so you better come to every practice or I'll hit you!" he threatened with his fist. Kise immediately reverted back to his old self and cowered behind Moriyama.

"You're so mean, senpai!"

* * *

"Tetsu-kun looks so happy," Momoi sighed contently as she looked down at the celebrating team. She couldn't remember the last time her former team showed this much excitement when they won a match... Victories were expected, after all, and she knew it always made Kuroko upset when no one had fun playing. "Kuma-chan's so lucky! I wish I can go down and hug Tetsu-kun, too," she pouted with envy as Aomine stood up from his seat next to her and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Aomine-kun?" she pulled at the male's sleeve. "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving," he said with his back facing her.

"Leaving? But Shutoku's game isn't over yet!" Momoi pouted. Aomine waved her fingers off before leaving.

"He's not going to lose. Besides, they're all just taking their time... I'm sick of waiting."

As Momoi went after Aomine, the rest of the Touou team stayed until the other court finally declared the winner. Shutoku was advancing to the Winter Cup with Seirin. Satisfied with the results, though it was already expected, Imayoshi walked out as well.

"I thought Aomine-san looked pissed off," Sakurai commented out of the blue as the team walked down the hall. "But then I saw him smile at the end."

"Well, considering the meaning of today's results..." Imayoshi let out a laugh as the first-year wondered at the meaning with confusion. "I'm starting to get excited, too."

_It's a frightening thought, but... _

Imayoshi grinned knowing that whether it was Seirin or the phantom sixth man, or the prodigies and their team members, they all have the same thought in mind.

_It'll be an all-out war this winter._

.

_twenty-nine_

**we're not scared**

.

Following the grueling championship match with Kirisaki Daiichi, the members of the Seirin basketball team sat in their classes the next week with high spirits but sore bodies. Despite the hype of the upcoming Winter Cup, it doesn't stop the functioning of classes—a fact all of the players dreaded because following quickly behind their mid-terms was the final second-semester exams.

Since the team brackets won't be released until December, all of the participating schools have a a little leeway to focus in school and continue practice for a whole month.

"We shouldn't be relaxing just because our place in the Winter Cup is secured," Riko announced to the team as they filed into the gymnasium for practice after the last period bell had rung. "But, seeing that you guys have worked so hard to get this far and considering Teppei's knee injury, we'll take it easy today."

"C-Could it be?! Our prayers have been heard!" Koganei cried as he and the three first-years skipped around with blissful expressions. Similarly, Izuki's eyes shone with stars.

"We've been blessed with a holiday... It's a _holy_day!"

"Don't get too carried away!" Riko's brows ticked at the team's over-enthusiasm and her fist itched to connect with their heads. "It's only one day! Then it's back to practice!"

Needless to say, their groans followed right after. It was then Tomoko stepped into the gym with a giant grin plastered on her face.

"How about we go to the hot springs this weekend, then?"

"Hot springs?!" the team yelled excitedly.

"A fantastic idea, Okuma-chan!" Teppei praised, his mind already floating to the comfort of relaxing his body in an old-fashioned spring. Riko often told him that he sounded like an old man, and she wasn't wrong. "Let's all go!" his warm brown eyes glinted eagerly.

The coach could only sigh with exasperated defeat. "We'll have to find somewhere cheap. The club isn't exactly loaded with funds, you know..."

"Actually," Tomoko piped up while waving the stack of rectangular tickets between her fingers. "I have overnight stay tickets for a hot springs inn!"

"Woah!" Koganei eyed the tickets impressively with his cat-like grin as the rest crowded around the girl as well. "You're awesome, Okuma-chan! We're not worthy to have you as our manager, but I'm so glad you are!"

"She's the best manager ever!"

As Tomoko basked in the compliments with sheepish grins, Riko went ahead and read the specifics of the tickets. The inn, _Kappa Tengoku_, was a relatively short ride from Tokyo to Yumoto. She counted the tickets—a whooping fifteen in total—and it was more than enough for the entire basketball team. Now that she looked at it again, she found that the location was pretty convenient...

"Okuma-chan," Riko asked curiously. "How did you get these tickets?"

"I won them~!" Tomoko replied with a thoughtful pout. "I spun the _Garapon_ (lottery wheel) in the supermarket trying to win fifth prize—it was a bag of 20 steaming pork buns! However, I only got the first prize."

_...Only?!_ the team chorused in their heads with alarm. Sometimes, they didn't get their caramel haired manager.

"Huh. The bag of pork buns sounded more appealing..." Kagami remarked more to himself than to anyone else, but everyone heard him, including Tomoko and she giggled.

"You think so too? Maybe I _should've_ traded it in..."

The whole team aimed their murderous glare at the redhead.

"Shut your mouth, Bakagami!"

* * *

The only thing that could be heard was the soft ripples of spring water and the content sighs from the Seirin basketball team as they settled themselves in the inn's outdoor hot spring.

"Kagami-kun, you shouldn't let your towel touch the water," Kuroko moved his gaze to his right when he heard air bubbles leaving the redhead's submerged white towel. Kagami hummed a reply and lifted up the towel.

"Ah, viva-non~" Koganei mumbled, thoroughly enjoying the therapeutic feeling of his muscles relaxing. The same could be said for the other seniors, though they had no idea what the cat-like teen had said.

"What's 'viva-non'?" Teppei asked with genuine interest.

"Who cares? Idiots," Hyuuga said as he leaned back towards the stone-lined edge. His remark lacked the usual bite, which Izuki noticed and pointed out, but he merely shrugged and relaxed even more. "Of course. We're at the hot springs."

"This feels so nice," Teppei had a pleasant smile on his face and Tsuchida nodded.

"Yeah, going to the hot springs to refresh ourselves was a great idea."

"Tomorrow we're going right back to practice," Hyuuga reminded in a low mumble, sinking lower into the water until his chin touched the warm water. "Don't lose focus."

"I know," the brunette center replied for the team. Everyone was relaxed and happy—Koganei being a little overboard with his happiness as he was demonstrating the butterfly stroke for his teammates. It was a good thing that they were the only ones using the bath at this time.

The other three first-years wrapped towels around their waists when they got up, and Furihata pointed to the smaller pool at the corner for them to try out. Hyuuga saw them and suddenly stood up with all his naked glory, an accusing finger was pointing at the first-years.

"You guys! Don't tastelessly wear your towels around your waists," he reprimanded, turning his focus over to the standing redhead for example. "Look at Kagami. His towel is casually slung over his shoulder. His dashing standing figure. His swim trunks... What?! _Swim trunks_?!"

"Huh?" Kagami looked over with surprise before looking down at his blue trunks. "Oh, I've never been to hot springs before. Am I not suppose to wear them?"

Hyuuga almost sighed away five years of his life. "Kids from abroad..." he muttered before walking over to sit at the stools by the washing station. He pointed to his back, "Well then. Underclassmen wash their senior's backs."

"Seriously?" Kagami blinked and Izuki snorted.

"You just want to make him do it."

Shrugging, the redhead complied and grabbed the nearest tool he could find. "Like this?" he asked as he used both hands to swipe the tool down Hyuuga's back. He didn't understand why the captain suddenly fell to the ground with a pained look on his face. "Huh? How'd that happen?" he asked with confusion as he looked at the thick-bristled brush in his hand.

"What's wrong with you?! That brush is for cleaning the floor!" The point guard shouted with pure shock as Hyuuga barely managed to get back up. His back was bright red.

"I thought he was going to kill me..." Hyuuga muttered before his eyes bulged at another disbelieving sight. Kuroko was covered head to toe with soap suds as he washed Number 2, and both of them looked like a pile of marshmallows. "Wh-What is this?! I don't know where to start!"

"The owners said we could wash Number 2," Teppei replied good naturedly as he sat on top of a rock before Hyuuga was knocked to the ground once again, courtesy of Kagami using another brush on him.

"Hyuuga?!" Izuki cried as he stared at the redhead with even _more_ disbelief. "Kagami, what are you—?!"

"I thought I'd try again," Kagami blinked down at the new brush. "Is this not for washing either?"

"You think?!"

* * *

"Okuma-chan, you're not going in?" Riko asked when she nearly collided with the caramel haired manager as she was about to step into the girl's' changing room. Tomoko shook her head.

"I forgot my towel, so I'm going to the front desk to check one out."

"Alright," Riko smiled and left the girl on her way. "I'll be in the springs then!"

She took a step in the changing room but stopped when noises from the boy's side traveled to her ears. Raising a brow, she wondered what the guys were doing that was making such a loud ruckus.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tomoko headed up to the front desk where an old woman wearing a traditional kimono was sipping a cup of tea.

The old woman looked up, "Are you the last guest?" she asked, confusing the girl for a second before she slowly shook her head in apology. "Ah, my apologies, I thought you were with the group that just checked in. What is it that you need, ojou-san?"

"I'd like to check out another towel," Tomoko said.

"Right away."

As the old woman went to the back room to retrieve the towel, Tomoko was left to her own devices. She noticed the pile of pamphlets stacked neatly at the corner and picked on up. It was a general guide about the inn and its hot springs, but at the bottom of the last page, there was a small section on the urban legend of the inn.

"_Nishi no onna_?" she read out loud just as the owner came back with the towel.

"Ah, that's the legend of the woman who drowned here in the 1700s," the old woman explained. "It was said that there was a young woman who used to live in this very location, long ago. Our hot springs are built on top of the well that she fell and drowned in."

"R-Really?" Tomoko widened her salmon eyes as the woman continued on.

"Rumors say the drowned woman's angry spirit still lingers here. She would roam around the halls with her long, wet black hair over her face, dripping with water, and if she catches you alone... She'll..."

Tomoko felt her forehead sweat and her heartbeat quicken. "She'll...?"

"She'll grab you on the shoulder with her wet, clammy hand and suck out your soul," the woman finished with a sip of her tea. She gave a toothy smile when she saw that Tomoko was nearly shaking with fear and handed her the towel. "Or so it's said. Don't worry ojou-san, it's a complete myth."

Letting out a relieved breath she didn't know she was holding, the salmon eyed girl took the towel thanked the owner. _It's not real, _she thought as she walked down the empty corridor cautiously. _It's only made up—_

A hand suddenly clamped down on her shoulder and she screamed.

* * *

"Huh? Did you hear that?"

Mitobe turned away from the tall fence when Hyuuga voiced out the question on top of his shoulder after hearing something like a muffled cry. The captain, along with Koganei (who was sitting on top of a clueless Kagami's shoulder) was shamelessly trying to peek over the tall wooden barrier to the girl's section. There was apparently a group of college girls on the other side, and being guys at a hot spring, it would be breaking stereotypical tradition to _not_ steal a look.

"Hyuuga! I can't believe you're going along with this!" Izuki accused, having not heard anything besides the captain and Koganei's complaints about not being tall enough.

"Idiot!" Hyuuga shushed the point guard since his voice was raised too high. "You should be lucky you have your Eagle Eye!"

"It doesn't work like that!"

Teppei, chilling at his corner of the spring with Tsuchida, gave the whole situation a disapproving frown. "Riko would kill you if she were here," he pointed out straightforwardly.

"Not you too, Kiyo—" Izuki was going to yell, but he quickly realized that the brunette was on his side and he froze at his words. He wondered if his teammates were all _wishing_ for death. "Y-You're right!"

"Um..."

He turned to a red-faced Kuroko. The boy wasn't blushing because of the the thought of naked college girls, but rather, it was because of the heat of the hot spring. "Kuroko! Get out of the bath! Kagami, go with him."

"Ah! Our peeking specialist disappeared!" Hyuuga and Koganei complained.

"His misdirection doesn't work like that either!" Izuki twitched, yet they didn't bother to pay attention to him. They continued on with their peeping business, and they even rounded up the other first-years to participate in their risque intentions!

"A hole! I found a hole!" Fukuda suddenly shouted, drawing their attention the opening at the corner of the fence.

_This team is hopeless... _The Eagle Eye user sagged and completely gave up. No one was even listening to him! Koganei wrapped an arm across his shoulders and grinned.

"C'mon, you don't dislike this, do you? And Tsucchi too! Aren't you guys curious?"

"Huh? I..." Tsuchida smiled nervously. He hasn't told the team this, but he actually has a girlfriend and she would be less than thrilled if he went to peek at other girls...

"Damn it, the hedge is in the way!"

"Wait, they're coming over!"

"Move the bucket! Move the bucket!"

Crowding around the peephole, Hyuuga and the others were still struggling to see the other side. They were too busy to realize that their lives were about to be cut extremely short by a certain short haired coach who happened to wander in after hearing all the commotion.

"You seem to be having fun. Let me join you," her sickly sweet voice reached their ears and they robotically turned their heads towards a smiling Riko. "What are you boys doing?"

"C-C-Coach..." they stuttered. _Shit shit shit shit shit...!_

"I thought that you were making a lot of noise," her smile never left her face; if anything, it grew even sweeter. "All if you, clench your teeth."

* * *

Tomoko ripped herself away from the unknown hand before running behind a tall potted plant. She was shaking with tears in her eyes. "I'm s-sorry, Ghost-san! I d-don't want to die!" she wailed.

"_Ghost_?! S-Shit, get this thing off me!"

Her terror was momentarily cut short when she heard a familiar masculine voice shout. Braving a look, she peeked over behind the giant green leaves. Someone—_very_ _human_—was waving around his arms as he tried to get the towel that she had thrown over her shoulders when she panicked. It was almost amazing how tangled up the towel was around the male's upper body and head.

Tomoko crawled out of her hiding spot and tried to help the male. "L-Let me..." when her hand touched the edge of the towel, which happened to be where the male's arm was tangled up in, he let out a strangled yell.

"I-I-I'm so s-sorry for everything! Gods, please dispel the evil!"

_Could this be...? _She yanked the towel off of the male with a pounding heart. _Aomine-kun!?_

_"You're not a ghost!" _She and him shouted at the same time before both raising their eyebrows. _"Of course I'm not!"_

A minute of silent disbelief passed by before Aomine spoke up first. "Why the hell did you scream?!" he said with an exasperated scowl. He nearly had his soul scared out of him!

"I thought you were the drowned woman's angry spirit," Tomoko explained while mirroring the tanned miracle's scowl. "The old woman at the front desk had just told me about the myth when you decided to sneak up on me! I thought I was going to die for sure..."

"There's no such thing as ghosts," he deadpanned. "It's stupid to believe in myths!"

Tomoko's cheeks pinkened at his incredulous response before she puffed them up childishly. "You freaked out more than I did," she muttered. Aomine grew embarrassed as well but he immediately tried to dismiss her accusation with a click of his tongue.

"I did not! You just surprised me!"

"Hmph, sure. The mighty Aomine Daiki is afraid of ghosts!"

"You're the one who was crying 'cause you thought I was some drowned woman!"

They exchanged heated glares; neither side wanted to admit that they were spooked by each other. However, their brave front quickly disintegrated when sourceless knocks and bangs traveled down the corridor.

"What..." Aomine trailed off as he widened his eyes.

"...Was that?" Tomoko finished with a squeak.

The muffled, pained howls that followed was the only cue the two needed before getting the hell out of there.

* * *

Teppei could only watch with astonishment as Riko methodically took care of the other players, even the unlucky ones who didn't even peek (except himself, thankfully). After a minute of cries and wails, Riko stormed out with a huff and things went back back to normal.

Rather... As normal as it could get after their well-deserved punishment.

"...We shouldn't have peeped," Hyuuga brooded with half of his face underwater. Like the rest of the guys, his cheek was sporting a glaring red fistprint.

"Of course not. What have I been telling you this entire time?" Izuki scoffed as he nursed his own cheek. _I got hit and I didn't even do it!_

A laugh rang throughout the hot spring and made the Seirin players look over to the other side with surprise. The thick steam parted and revealed a group of familiar males.

"Touou Academy?!"

"You're as lively as ever," Imayoshi greeted good naturedly as Seirin stared at his team with shock and suspicion. "What's with the skeptical faces? We just happened to be practicing in the area, then we just happened to decide to relax in the hot springs, and you just happened to be here."

"I somehow doubt that this is all a coincidence," Hyuuga said, and the other captain waved his hand dismissively.

"We're both representing Tokyo—let's at least get along while we bathe. Ah, I know, why don't we have a _friendly_ contest to get rid of this tension?" Imayoshi asked with his thick Kansai accent. It wasn't fooling anyone; despite the polite speech, the Touou captain was as devious as his fox-like expression let on. He was like Hanamiya in a way, sans the dirty plays. He pointed to the small wooden room in the corner, "The first team with all of their players forfeiting from the heat has to pay for drinks."

"A sauna competition?" Izuki questioned with a quirked brow. Imayoshi grinned.

"Why not? That way we can all sit down and have a _nice_ talk."

* * *

Riko had marched to the girl's side and quickly stripped off her clothing before sinking herself into the water. Sighing, she splashed some warm water on her neck.

"Unbelievable..." she muttered before relaxing into the spring. _Boys are the worst._

While she settled with some annoyance still clouding her mind, she barely heard another pair of footsteps coming her way until the person came up next to her. "Mind if I sit next to you?" the girl asked softly, and Riko merely nodded.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Thanks."

The girl dipped one foot at a time into the water and sat down. It was only when Riko turned to look at the girl did she realize who it was.

"Aw, I thought Kuma-chan would be here too... But anyway... This feels so goooooood~ My shoulders have been so stiff lately," Momoi sighed happily before looking at the pouting coach teasingly. "You don't seem like you'd have that problem. I'm jealous."

"S-Shut up!" Riko twitched as she covered her chest with offense. _What's she doing here? Actually..._ Her analytic eyes scanned over the pink haired manager's more _supple_ bosom and sunk lower into the water with frustrated envy. _She's huge!_

Really, the world just wasn't fair to her. Chest-wise.

"Oh, right," Momoi perked up suddenly and smiled. "I want to tell you about Winter Cup's first round match-up. I like Tetsu-kun, and that's why I won't hold back this time. It's too bad you'll be out after the first day, though, because..."

* * *

It was dark.

Everything on the other side of the sliding door was quiet; not a peep could be heard except for shallow breathing and a pounding heart... _Hearts_. Tomoko and Aomine had ended up running in the same direction and scrambled into a random opened room without a second thought.

"...Is it gone?"

Tomoko whispered out as she tightened her hold on the object she was clinging to. Aomine felt his face heat up; he didn't know if she was even aware that she was holding onto _his_ _arm, _and the little bit of light that poured through the room illuminated her adorable shut-eyed expression.

_She's really cute, _he thought.

"Aomine-kun?"

"U-Uh, yeah, of course," Aomine coughed into his free hand, looking away before scoffing. "I already told ya there's no such thing as ghosts."

He heard Tomoko let out a sigh before the hold on his arm went away. He had to admit; it felt kind of nice to have her cling onto him... Especially since a _certain_ asset was pushed up against him.

_Heh..._ Watching her current expression with amusement, it made him think back to all of the different expressions that always danced across her face. Her distressed face from the day of the Kirisaki Daiichi match suddenly popped into his mind.

"Oi," his tanned features grew serious. "That day... What the bubblegum freak said really pissed me off. Care to explain what happened?" he asked as offhandedly as he could. When he didn't get a response, he looked over at the girl but was met with empty space.

_What the...?_

Tomoko was already a few feet away, peeking out of the slightly ajar sliding door when she twisted her head back to look at him with an expectant stare. "Did you say something?" she asked, having not heard a word he said. Aomine's eyes twitched.

She turned back towards the door, "I think someone's coming down this way..."

"Hah? This is an inn, of course there'll be people," Aomine said boredly, a bit pissed off that the caramel haired girl was ignoring him. He stood up and slid open the door. "Whatever, I'm going."

"W-Wait!" He was surprised when Tomoko hastily grabbed onto his sleeve. She looked at him sheepishly, "I might as well come with, heh heh..."

Aomine stared at her before letting out a low chuckle. "If you like me that much you could've just said so, babe," he grinned at her wolfishly, curling a finger under her chin to tilt her head up towards him. He instantly decided that he liked the bewildered expression on her face. "Do you want me to protect you from the nonexistent drowned woman?"

An embarrassed blush painted her cheeks as she unconsciously pouted and he couldn't help but think that those pink lips looked so luscious...

"What are you, a pervert?" A new voice scoffed as a heavy arm slung over Aomine's shoulders. Tomoko blinked out of her stupor.

"Taiga-chan?"

"Don't make me worry about you too, brat. Kuroko alone is enough," Kagami rolled his eyes and bopped the caramel haired manager's forehead with the bottle in his hand. He then faced the tanned miracle, who's face grew into an irritated scowl at being interrupted and pushed Kagami's arm off.

"Don't put your arm around my shoulder."

"Aomine-kun."

They all turned around to see Kuroko. He looked much better than earlier in the springs. "Agh, didn't I tell you to stay put?" Kagami scolded the blue haired male before tossing the bottle of energy drink to him. "Here's your drink."

"Thank you," Kuroko replied softly, catching the bottle.

"So, what are you doing here?" Kagami finally asked Aomine while raising his brow. "_Other_ than harassing our manager."

"Tch. I don't have much of a reason to be here. Our captain wanted to come and greet your seniors since we practiced around the area," the miracle scoffed and leaned against the wall, unaffected by the redhead's allegation. He glanced over to Kuroko, "I saw your game. Is that the new move Satsuki mentioned?"

"Yes," Kuroko nodded as he locked eyes with Aomine. "I developed it to use against you."

"Heh, it won't work. The one that'll win the Winter Cup—"

"—is _us_," Kagami cut in and smirked. "You just wait."

"You're going to win, huh?"

If anything, Aomine sounded amused. He was glowing with self-confidence and he regarded the redhead cooly.

"It seems you really did open the door, but you're just standing in the entrance. You're not even close to the Generation of Miracles, nor are you even entertainment for us," he drawled. "It's too bad for you, because your first opponent in the Winter Cup..." he paused before grinning, "is _me_."

_Wait... What? _

Kagami blanched, his expression mirroring both Kuroko's and Tomoko's. "We're from the same prefecture... How can we be playing each other in the first round?"

Aomine only shrugged. "Satsuki said it's because we're in the special bracket, but it doesn't matter to me..." he stopped momentarily when he caught the fired up determination in Tomoko's eyes.

"Aomine-kun, don't forget that it's been six months since Interhigh. We've practiced and gotten stronger," she declared, "That's why..."

* * *

"Let's have a good game, ne?"

Momoi got up and bent over to look down on the brunette coach, pissing her off more. Riko narrowed her eyes.

"You're acting pretty superior, aren't you?" she scoffed and stomped up right in front of the busty girl, pushing against the girl's chest with her own. "Let me make something clear: my boys aren't that weak! Don't—"

* * *

"—underestimate us!" Hyuuga shouted in determination, his voice shaking the entire sauna. "We'll show you!"

In response to the Seirin captain's sheer willpower, Imayoshi chuckled amusingly. "Such courage," he said with a grin. "I'm not impressed, though. You sound like you think you've gotten stronger and closed the gape between us, but aren't you forgetting something?"

"Forgetting something?" Koganei echoed.

"By the way, we played against Josei at our practice match," Imayoshi added. He relished in all of the wide-eyed looks that he got and he chuckled lowly. "If I remember, you played them in the prelims. We beat them soundly 170 to 39. You should know what that means, right? Although Winter Cup is another national tournament, every team will be several degrees stronger. So while you grew...

"Don't think _we_ haven't changed since last time."

At that, it was Hyuuga's turn to chuckle. "No one said winning was going to be easy. All we ask is for you to _bring it on_," he replied, standing up with the rest of his team. Imayoshi's amused grin widened at that declaration.

* * *

_The bottom line is... We've _all_ changed._

"I look forward to our next game," Tomoko told Aomine and smiled brightly. "We're gonna draw that passion out of you, so you better play us with everything you've got!"

"Heh."

Aomine grinned. Everything she says never ceases to amuse him... _Alright. I've_ _decided__. _He seriously liked her and her spunk. Taking a step towards the girl, he leaned down to get on eye level with her. "Passion, huh? Go on a date with me after Seirin loses and I'll show you just how much _passion_ I have."

"E-Eh?" Tomoko's resolved look softened with the growing confusion. "What does that have to do with passion...?"

"Aomine-kun..." Kuroko said lowly, his eyes narrowing.

"Oi, don't get too carried away!" Kagami finished with a growl. He pushed the bewildered manager behind him protectively. "We won't lose. Nothing beats repaying a debt quickly." Next to him, Kuroko didn't say anything else but his expression told a different story.

_That's a challenging look, Tetsu..._

The tanned miracle felt his tension for the upcoming game rise. The three of them said nothing else as they stared at each other with determination. "Fine," Aomine finally said, flashing them a delighted smirk. "Bring it on."

* * *

_"Are you sick, Tetsuya-kun? Your face feels warm..."_

_"Ah, no—"_

_"Let me take care of you!"_

_"Okay."_

* * *

**8.6k words... This is what happens when you try generate too much wind to sail the ships. Please leave a review~! **


	30. In Sickness and In Health

Sorry for the late update! The month of November has been crazy for me. Two of my classes has 3 "midterms", so every other week starting from October had been test weeks. Next Wednesday is my last math midterm... But since I'm home for break, I thought I'd whip this out! Hope y'all will enjoy :D

P.S. Thank you for all of the reviews, too! I didn't have time to answer them when I received them throughout the month, but I did read all of them and it filled me with happiness.

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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**_SPARK_**

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Saturday morning quickly approached after Seirin's hot springs getaway night. As Hyuuga and the others gathered at the entrance of the inn to make a quick member check, Kuroko and Tomoko showed up.

"Excuse me..." the blue haired boy started.

"...Taiga-chan's been missing since this morning," the caramel haired manager finished.

"What ridiculous bedheads!" Hyuuga exclaimed as he turned around.

Kuroko and Tomoko blinked and looked at one another, then they simultaneously reached across and tried to pat down each other's hair. Hyuuga and the others watched with mild fascination at the synchronism.

"Eh..." Tsuchida was the first one to speak up. "You said Kagami's missing?"

"That's fine," Riko piped from behind them. They all turned around to the coach. "Starting today, we'll be practicing without Kagami-kun for a while. I'll explain later," she said before nodding at Tomoko. "Okuma-chan, do you want us to walk you to the train station?"

Tomoko shook her head, "No worries!"

"Train station? Aren't we heading home?" Hyuuga wondered. He didn't like the questionably happy expression the brunette coach had. _That can only mean one thing...! _

"Okuma-chan's heading to Akita this weekend, and as for you guys..."

True to the twisting feeling in his stomach—it was usually a good indicator that they were all in for a hard time—Riko pointed to the building across from the inn that looked suspiciously like a gym.

"Our training camp starts now~"

* * *

Ichirou stretched his limbs and looked out the window of his apartment. Though warm sunlight was pouring in, it was already chilly in Akita. He let out a satisfying yawn and went to the bathroom.

_I don't have to work today..._

He stared at his reflection as he brushed his teeth.

_I'm passing all of my classes at University..._

He took a sip of water to rinse his mouth.

_Oh, and Tomoko's visiting!_

With a happy nod, Ichirou finished his morning routine and headed towards the small living room. Since the younger Okuma always made delicious treats and occasional dinners for the two of them whenever she visited, he had stocked up on ingredients the day before. Now, he just needed to plan how to spend the day.

"Today's a good day," he hummed, but then he felt a chill run up his spine. Thinking it was because of the cold, he headed back to his room to grab a jacket. "Maybe we should roast some sweet potato today..."

As he came back out, there was a heavy knock on the door.

"I thought I told Tomoko to wait for me at the station," he wondered out loud, heading to open his door with an excited grin. "Oh, well! Imouto-chan—"

Ichirou nearly freaked when he saw the purple haired giant standing at the door instead of his precious little sister, wearing what he assumed was the giant's sleepwear—a thin long sleeved shirt, sweatpants, and for _god's sakes_ the boy was still wearing his indoor slippers! There was a purple scarf wrapped around the giant's neck, so Ichirou could only see pink-tinged cheeks and tired violet eyes staring down at him.

"What are _you_ doing here?!"

"Tomo-chin's brother..." Murasakibara greeted lethargically before toppling over.

"O-Oi!" Ichirou panicked to catch the heavy male before he fell, and internally, he was screaming. Today was definitely _not_ a good day!

* * *

_I have a bad feeling about this..._

Hyuuga and the rest of his teammates was currently being stared down by Riko's dad, Aida Kagetora. He didn't know if it was just him, but he definitely felt the force of the pointed look from the older Aida.

"Kagetora-san, what are you doing here?" Tsuchida asked.

"My lovely daughter asked me to come. I came to make you guys stronger, but before we do that, I have a question for you..." Kagetora trailed on. Suddenly, he pulled out a gun from his back pocket and pointed the muzzle at the stunned males. His expression grew terrifyingly dark. "Step forward if you saw Riko naked yesterday."

"He's got a gun?!"

_I knew it!_ Hyuuga cried internally as the others panicked. It would take less than a second for them to all descend to hell, and being terrified, Koganei was about to reveal their failed attempt at peeping...! He quickly slapped a hand on Koganei's mouth, frantically eyeing the distance between the gun and himself.

"Come forward now and I'll kill you painlessly with a single headshot!" Kagetora threatened as the guys stuttered out incoherent responses. "Listen up! I'm the only one who can see Riko naked—"

"No you can't!" Riko shouted with embarrassment and threw a basketball at his head. The man widened his eyes with tearful surprise.

"W-What?! Riko-tan, you said you'd marry papa when you were little!"

As expected, he received a fist to his face from the flustered girl. Hyuuga and the others took this time to inch away from the family feud, realizing just how similar the Aidas' tempers were...

"Stop saying embarrassing things and get started!"

"But you said you'd marry me!"

"Shut up about that!"

"Fine, fine..." Letting out a long sigh, the Aida head turned back to the guys with his serious face back on, much to Riko's relief. "You guys can start by taking off your shirts."

_This seems familiar... _they thought gloomily, remembering the beginning of the year when Riko asked to do the same thing.

As the guys stripped off their shirts and stood down a line, Kagetora walked down and analyzed each player's new stats. After a few minutes of silent examination, he nodded.

"Well, you're not bad," he said and started to list off his collected data. "You seem to have been keeping up with Riko's training since this summer. Your stamina and muscles show balanced improvement. Split into two groups."

"Eh?"

The last thing Kagetora said was confusing to them, but they complied nonetheless. To make whatever was to come fair, they simply divided themselves straight down the middle.

"Alright. Go play cops and robbers in those mountains for about three hours," Kagetora ordered, pointing to the densely wooded area behind the gym. "Afterward, the losers will practice footwork. Then I'll let you off with double practice."

"Eh?!"

The gun cocked. "Any objections?"

"NO SIR!"

Not a moment later, the two groups grabbed their shirts and headed straight for the woods. After the sound of shoes could no longer be heard, Riko gave her old man an impressive look.

"Dad, is this Fartlek?" she asked, picking up Number 2 since he was happily left behind in the care of the Aidas as Kuroko trained. "By using their whole bodies to run over uneven ground, they'll improve their overall fitness."

Kagetora smiled and went to hug his daughter, "As expected of my Riko-tan! I knew you'd understand—"

"Just get on with your explanation!" Riko shouted angrily, punching his face away. Even without the boys here, she was still embarrassed by the man's overly-enthusiastic-father behavior. Sure she was a daddy's girl when she was younger, but she was in high school now!

"You're right, though," the older Aida recovered and rubbed his nose. "Fartlek is usually employed to enhance psychological aspects of conditioning for distance runners. Like I mentioned earlier, the guys all improved physically, but they're stiff. You can't just build muscle; your body needs to be able to use them. They need to become acclimated to the muscles they've built."

"I see. Running around the mountains is the fastest way to do that," Riko concluded in understanding. "Nice one, dad!"

"Of course! By the way..." Kagetora was deep in thought this time instead of his usual reaction of being complimented by his only daughter. "Aren't you missing some people on your team?"

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_thirty_

**in sickness and in health**

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"Ichi-nii!" Tomoko waved and ran out of the station to meet up with her brother. She paused and shivered when a cold breeze hit her. "It's so much colder in Akita!"

"My cute imouto-chan!"

Ichirou came up and greeted her in his usual enthusiastic way; however, Tomoko noticed that he looked restless for some reason. "You look tired, Ichi-nii. Did you not sleep well?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

At the mention, the older Okuma stiffened and a small scowl appeared on his face. "I did sleep well," he replied. _But i__t's all because of that shrimp causing problems and kept me busy all morning... _

"Let's go back to your apartment then! I'm hungry!" Tomoko ushered, skipping ahead.

_Go back... To the apartment...?_ Ichirou repeated in his head before he suddenly froze. "We can't go back yet!" he shouted._ Or ever!_

"Huh? Why?"

"Because..." he tried to think of something. Remembering a thought from earlier, he nodded to himself fervently. "I want to buy sweet potatoes! They're especially good on a chilly day!"

Though Tomoko thought that he was acting slightly weirder than usual, she had to agree that a nice roasted sweet potato sounded really good. Shrugging, she headed towards the supermarket with her brother.

When they got to the produce section of the market, Tomoko grabbed a plastic bag and went to pick out ripe potatoes. Thinking three big ones was enough, she started to tie up the bag. "Okay, we can—"

"Wait!"

"What's wrong now?" she pouted. Ichirou snatched the bag away and went back to the potatoes. He gave her a determined look.

"We should get more! Sweet potatoes can be used for a lot of things!"

Tomoko watched her brother slowly examine each one before carefully putting it into the bag. Confused with such a behavior from him, she went up besides him and started to help him out. "Ichi-nii," she started, handing a ripe one over before getting to the point. "Are you hiding something from me?"

The potato fell back into the pile as Ichirou looked at the caramel haired girl nervously. Tomoko gasped at his reaction.

"Do you have someone at the apartment?! I want to meet her!"

_'Her'?_ Ichirou shook his head vigorously. "I-It's not a girl!"

"Eh?" she looked at him weirdly. "Then... It's a guy...?"

A few shoppers had looked over towards them after their loud outbursts and Ichirou pulled his shocked sister to the side. He let out a defeated sigh. No matter how much he didn't want to, he might as well come clean with the situation now to avoid misunderstandings...

* * *

Tomoko nearly _dragged_ her unwilling brother home after hearing about the Yosen player's condition. They quickly reached the apartment, and upon opening the door, they were surprised to see the giant in the kitchen.

"Mura-kun! Are you okay?"

"Oh, Tomo-chin," Murasakibara turned to the girl, his face lighting up slightly. He walked towards the girl; his movements was more sluggish than normal and his face still sported a pink tint. "I'm hungry," he whined.

"Snooping around someone else's kitchen without permission..." Ichirou muttered with his eyes narrowed. He thought he had _specifically_ ordered Murasakibara to stay put in bed before he left. "Since you're better now, you can leave."

"But I feel terrible," the giant mumbled and stuck closer to Tomoko as she fretted over him like a mother hen. "Tomo-chin, feed me~"

"Alright, but go sit down first. I'll make something."

"Don't casually demand people to feed you!" Ichirou yelled begrudgingly, glaring at the childishly smug look the male sported when he got his way. "And here I thought idiots can't catch colds..." he muttered again.

"Ichi-nii, don't be mean!" Tomoko scolded as she came out of the bedroom with a blanket and a small medicine packet in her hands.

Ichirou glanced at Murasakibara, who was patiently sitting on the couch like his sister ordered, and then to the packet in her hand. His eyes twitched and he marched over to the two. He took the packet of powdered medicine and waved it in Murasakibara's face accusingly. "Oi, shrimp! You didn't drink the medicine I told you to take!"

"Eh? But that one's bitter," Murasakibara complained with a pout. "I'm not drinking it."

"Don't be such a baby and take it!" Ichirou demanded, shoving a glass of water and the packet in his face. Murasakibara turned his head away.

"No."

"If you don't want it then go home."

"No."

"Then take it!"

"No."

The older Okuma let out an irritated groan while the giant looked at the kitchen longingly since Tomoko went to make some food for them. He glared at the packet; the powdered medicine was the only kind he had, yet Murasakibara insisted on not taking it. What the hell was he suppose to do?

The purple haired male suddenly sneezed and slumped down on the couch. He pulled the blanket tighter around him and let out a raspy whine.

"Everything hurts..."

"That's why I told you to take the medicine," Ichirou narrowed his eyes, thinking that the giant was overexaggerating. He touched the giant's forehead and jumped slightly at how abnormally warm it felt. Murasakibara's condition was worse than it was in the morning, and at this rate, the medicine he had wouldn't help much since it was only for a mild cold.

"Geez, what a troublesome guy!" he muttered before grabbing his jacket by the door. Even if Murasakibara annoyed him greatly, he _has _a heart and still wanted him to get better. "Tomoko! I'm going to the drugstore to grab the shrimp some fever medicine," he called as the girl poked her head out from the kitchen.

"Oh, okay!"

Tomoko said something akin to 'poor Mura-kun' to herself afterwards and Ichirou gave Murasakibara a quick glare. "You. Stay put."

"M'kay. I don't want bitter medicine," the purple haired male reminded with a mumble. "And I want maiubo."

"Hmph! As if!" Ichirou huffed and left.

* * *

"We're finally back..."

"That was painful..."

"Before we begin practice, I'll tell you what you need to do by next month," Kagetora said as the team, sweaty and out of breath, all crowded around him three hours later. "Riko showed me a DVD of your opponent's play. They're an aggressive team of strong players who focus on individual skill. At first glance, they're the opposite of a team that emphasizes team play like yours."

_At first glance?_ they thought in unison.

"However, if you aske me, their teamwork is much better than yours," the man revealed, shocking the team.

"What?"

"It's not like they emphasize the team play, of course. They can just do it. Ignoring individual play doesn't cut it; the most important thing is for everyone to always be aiming for the basket. That's what makes a team come together and why Touou is able to fully use their individualism as a strength. Simply being friendly isn't teamwork," Kagetora explained on, his eyes trailing over to Hyuuga. "For example, four-eyes..."

_F-Four-eyes..._ the captain miserably pondered at the nickname. It's been two years and the coach's dad was still antagonizing towards him as ever. It was just too hard to get on the man's good side.

"You tried to dribble past someone in your last game against Touou."

"Uh, yes," he straightened up, listening intently.

"That was stupid."

"What?!"

Kagetora dribbled the basketball in his hand leisurely and raised his brows at Hyuuga. "Why would you fight such a strong team with something you're bad at? Instead of that, why don't you make shots from the outside? Cutie and cat-face can shoot threes, too," he said and motioned towards Izuki and Koganei. Both of them looked visibly disturbed by the nicknames. "But they're far from being weapons. If you'd made your shots from the beginning against Kirisaki Daiichi, you would've won easily. _Realize_ you're Seirin's lifeline. Start making shots without a screen."

Hyuuga widened his eyes. _Without a screen?_ "But how? I was dribbling because I couldn't..."

"I'll show you," Kagetora cut in and tossed the ball to Izuki. "Cutie-kun, pass me the ball."

Whispers among the first-years rose as they watched the coach's dad step up into the court, wondering just what kind of person he was.

"He's going to play?"

"Can Kagetora-san even play basketball?"

Teppei smiled, "Not only does he play, he used to play for Japan's national team."

"Seriously?!"

Like the other first-years, Kuroko looked amazed as he watched as Hyuuga took the defensive position like the way it happened in their game against Touou. The older Aida caught the pass from Izuki and jumped back to prepare for his shot, making Hyuuga widen his eyes with surprise when he couldn't block it.

_That was fast... No, that wasn't speed..._ Kuroko replayed the move quickly in his head as the man explained what happened to the bewildered captain.

"Teamwork really starts to shine with a group of strong individuals. You'll all develop your own weapons by Winter Cup. In other words, they'll be your special abilities. Some of you noticed during your summer training camp and have already laid foundations," Kagetora smirked. "You have less than a month before the Winter Cup. I'll train you as much as I can for the price of bloody nothing."

As terrifying as the man's proposal sounded, the team couldn't help but be impressed and pumped. "Thank you!" they shouted in unison. Kuroko looked at the older Aida with respect.

_We have a remarkable person as our temporary coach._

Suddenly, he remembered something—rather, some_one_. Usually, that person would be the first to voice out his excitement about the Winter Cup. "Um, also..." he spoke up, spiking Koganei's attention for a similar reason.

"Oh yeah, where's Kagami?"

Riko clicked her tongue as she remembered that she promised to tell the team why Kagami was absent. "Oh. Actually, Kagami-kun left for America."

"America?!" they shouted incredulously.

* * *

Murasakibara whined loudly as he laid on the couch by himself. He was tired, bored, and most of all, _hungry_.

Time had barely passed since Ichirou left, but to Murasakibara, even two minutes was too long of a time without something to munch on. He gets especially hungry when he's sick because of how fatigued it makes him feel. Only food could make it better.

"Tomo-chinnnnnnnn. Stop ignoring me."

"I'm not," Tomoko answered from the kitchen. "I have to finish preparing food. You're hungry, right?"

The Yosen player whined again before going completely silent. She giggled to herself, continuing to mash up the sweet potatoes in a bowl. She already had the other ingredients for the soup and a few boiled eggs for a sandwich prepared, so after she stirred in the potatoes into the pot of broth to let it simmer, she'll have time to give the childish giant her attention.

_Hm, what else..._ she pondered as she added a little more garlic into the mixture since it boosts the immune system and the sweetness of the potatoes would cover up the taste and smell. Her salmon eyes traveled to the fruit bowl and she went to pick up an apple._ I'll slice some for Mura-kun._

After she plated the fruit, she stirred the soup for a moment and closed the lid. She turned around, "Alright, I'll bring this—Ohfm!" A hard chest was blocking her way and she looked up with a pout. "Mura-kun! You're suppose to be laying down!"

"But I'm so bored," Murasakibara complained. "And hungry."

Tomoko grinned at that and showed him the plate of sliced apples with apple skin bunny ears. "Want some?" The sick male peered down at the plate and stared for a few moments. _It looks so small and cute. Like Tomo-chin._ He nodded and opened his mouth.

"Ahhhhh."

"Mou," the caramel haired girl giggled. She grabbed a slice and put it in his mouth. "You have to lay down now, okay?" Murasakibara only hummed and staggered a little. She reached up to feel his face. _He's still burning up,_ she pouted, leading the giant back to the couch. "Maybe you should go to Ichi-nii's room and sleep," she said worriedly.

Murasakibara shook his head lethargically. "I want food," he sniffled and pulled her into his arms before snuggling her in a hug. He placed his chin on top of her head. "Tomo-chin's so warm and smells nice."

"Mura-kun!" Tomoko squeaked out when she felt crushed in the giant tight embrace. His long hair tickled her face. "If you want food, then you have to let me go!"

"Will Tomo-chin feed me?" he asked childishly.

"S-Sure," she replied and felt his arms loosen around her. She sighed and looked at him with a small smile. "Since there's leftover sweet potatoes, I'll make some pound cake later..." She could practically see Murasakibara's face light up. "_But_, you have to be a good boy and rest, got it?"

He nodded.

"Good! Wait here, I'll be right back."

True to her words, she left and came back only a minute later with a small basin of cold water and a hand towel. She set the basin down on the coffee table and motioned for him to lean towards her. Murasakibara readily complied and she reached over behind his head. This surprised the giant briefly since her face was inches from his own as she carefully tied his purple hair in a ponytail to get it out of the way. He was disappointed when she finished faster than he'd like and turned away from him to soak the towel in the water before wringing it out.

"Tomo-chin..."

Before he could finish, he was pushed back down gently onto the couch and he felt the cool and damp cloth on his forehead a second later. He sighed contently.

"It feels nice, right? That'll keep your head cool," Tomoko said and grinned happily. "You look handsome in a ponytail! Anyway, do you need anything else right now?"

"...Popsicles," he mumbled with a growing blush that wasn't from his cold. "Okaa-chin always gives me a fruit popsicle when I'm sick."

"Eh..." the girl thought for a second, remembering that there weren't any in the fridge when she checked, and though there were plenty of fruits in the house, she didn't have a popsicle mold to make it. Her face suddenly brightened, "I'll just ask Ichi-nii to get you some on the way!" she said, pulling out her phone to compose a text message.

Her phone buzzed with a reply right away.

...

From: Okuma Ichirou

To: Okuma Tomoko

_That annoying shrimp owes me big time._

(14:04)

...

Although her brother always said that he disliked the giant, at times like this his caring side always came through. Tomoko shut her phone and gave Murasakibara a reassuring nod. "Say, Mura-kun, why did you come to here today?"

"Hm?" he gave a little shrugged. "Because I'm sick."

"That's a reason for you to _not_ come. Ichi-nii said you walked here in your sleepwear! Where's Himuro-kun?" Tomoko frowned, remembering the miracle told her that he lived in Yosen's dormitories with Himuro as his roommate. Murasakibara huffed at the mention of the older male's name.

"I don't want to talk to Muro-chin anymore," he declared and looked away. "He betrayed me." Tomoko blinked a few times in confusion.

"How did Himuro-kun betray you...?"

"He told onee-chin about me being sick and onee-chin said she wanted to come visit me."

"You have a sister? That's so nice," she said before frowning again. "Why would it be so bad if she came to visit you?" The purple haired male narrowed his eyes and pouted.

"Onee-chin always yells at me to clean my room when she comes over and she takes away my snacks. So I don't want to see her. She can go hangout with Muro-chin instead since he told her."

Tomoko took the towel from Murasakibara to soak it again and returned it to his forehead. Then she gave him a stern look, "Himuro-kun told your sister because he cares about you, Mura-kun. Leaving like that isn't nice and Himuro-kun's probably trying to find you right now. You have to apologize to him."

"I don't—"

"If you don't at least tell him where you are, then I'm going to ignore you and not give you any pound cake later," Tomoko said and stood up to leave. His hand grabbed hers and tugged weakly.

"...Fine," he whined. "Tomo-chin, stay here."

"I'll get the food and come back, okay?" she smiled and he gave her a small nod, letting go of her hand. She walked into the kitchen and called back, "Remember to tell Himuro-kun!"

She heard a small groan before shuffling noises followed. Nodding when she saw that the giant had taken out his phone, she went to fill a bowl with the hot, creamy soup. Then, she peeled the hard boiled eggs and chopped them up before mixing them with Kewpie mayonnaise and some spices. Smearing the mixture onto the prepared white bread, she plated the sandwich and brought the food out to the pouting giant.

"I texted Muro-chin," Murasakibara said begrudgingly; his expression was ever so childish. "Now I want to eat."

Tomoko smiled brightly at him. "What did you tell him?"

"I said I'm with you. Food."

"Okay, okay," she laughed and set the food down in front of him and scooped a spoonful of soup towards his mouth. Suddenly, she stopped and gave him a skeptical look. "Mura-kun, was that _all_ you said?"

"Hm. Yeah~"

"Mura-kun!" she exclaimed hastily, moving the soup out of the miracle's reach, much to his chagrin. "He's going to think that you went to Tokyo! Give me your phone!"

Murasakibara slowly handed her the phone and she went into his messages.

...

From: Himuro Tatsuya

To: Murasakibara Atsushi

_What do you mean, Atsushi? Where are you? Did you go to Tokyo?_

(14:25)

...

Tomoko read the message with alarm. Himuro really thought the giant traveled to Tokyo... She quickly composed a reply, reassuring the Yosen second-year that Murasakibara was still in Akita and in fact in her brother's apartment. Since Murasakibara seemed to want to stay with her, she asked Himuro to come pick him up later on.

_And send!_ She sighed afterwards, putting the phone down. "That should do it."

"Are you mad at me?" Murasakibara asked with a pout. She shook her head and tapped the giant's forehead lightly.

"No, but don't make me or Himuro-kun worry like this again, okay? You have to take care of yourself."

"M'kay~" he said and climbed down from the couch to sit on the ground, dragging the blanket with him to wrap it around his large body. He patted the spot next to him. "Sit here, Tomo-chin."

Tomoko readily complied, plopping herself down next to the giant. A small chill ran down her body and she shivered. Suddenly, she felt Murasakibara wrap an arm and blanket around her.

"I don't want Tomo-chin to get sick," he justified when she looked up at him. "Then you won't be able to make cake for me."

"Thank you ne, Mura-kun," she laughed with a happy blush. For someone as big as Murasakibara, he was just adorable. She poked her hand out of the blanket and picked up the spoon from the soup for him. "Now, finish this before it gets cold!"

Murasakibara readily complied and took the spoon into his mouth, all the while looking down at the girl with a content expression.

_I like you a lot... Tomo-chin~_

* * *

Ichirou flipped through the channels on TV idly. Murasakibara was sleeping soundly in his room after eating and finally taking medicine (that weren't bitter), and although the miracle had complained about staying with Tomoko, the fever left him with no physical energy to do so. Gladly so, because Ichirou was thoroughly enjoying his few hours of peace.

"I heard your team made it to Winter Cup," the older Okuma commented casually when Tomoko finished cleaning everything from cooking and baking and came out of the kitchen.

"Aren't they great?!" she grinned brightly. "Our first opponent is Touou; they're the ones who beat us at Interhigh, so to prepare for the Winter Cup, we're doing special training with Riko-san's dad, Aida Kagetora, for a month."

"Aida... Kagetora?"

"Do you know him, Ichi-nii?" she asked. Ichirou furrowed his brows in thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, I just thought the name sounded familiar. Good luck, though!"

"Thanks!" Tomoko stole the remote control from her brother and switched the channel, sticking out her tongue when he tried to steal it back. "You should come watch one of our games!"

"All of them are hosted in Tokyo, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," the girl nodded with a smile. "I have no doubt that we'll face Mura-kun soon if we defeat enough teams. You can come watch that one!"

Hearing Murasakibara's name made Ichirou scrunch his nose with distaste. He really couldn't like a troublesome guy like him after all, especially not when he always acted so close and familiar with his precious little sister like a spoiled little child.

The oven then _ding_'ed, signalling that Tomoko's pound cake was done, and not a second later, the doorbell rung. The siblings split; one got the cake and the other got the door.

"Atsu-chan!"

Ichirou nearly got plowed over as a woman barged into the apartment. She had a head of wavy purple hair reaching past her chest and familiar, but more feminine, violet eyes. "This feels like déjà vu..." he muttered to himself, though he couldn't help but stare at the older Murasakibara with surprise.

He didn't think the same purple hair and violet eyes could look so _different_ on someone else... She looked more mature and more lively.

_And beautiful. _

"Who's at the door, Ichi-nii?" Tomoko asked, coming out of the kitchen with a tray of the sweet potato pound cake when she heard the woman. The height and similar features were a dead giveaway. "Oh! Are you Mura-kun's sister?"

"Murasakibara Keiko. But please, just call me Keiko!" the tall twenty-three year old woman introduced herself with a nice smile. At the same time, Himuro walked in with his usual poker face, although he did look slightly disheveled.

"Hello," he greeted both Ichirou and Tomoko. "Thank you for taking care of Atsushi."

"Where's that worrisome little brother of mine?" Keiko cut in, looking around. "Did he cause a lot of problems? Atsu-chan, were you causing problems for these nice people?"

Tomoko reassured the woman that it was no problem at all, though Ichirou begged to differ. "We didn't mind!" she told Keiko (Ichirou scuffed in the background and he muttered, "_I_ did") as she presented the aromatic cake, thus gaining everyone's attention. "Have some cake! There's enough for everyone—"

Two large hands suddenly grabbed the tray and held it in the air. "Tomo-chin, you said it was for _me_," Murasakibara whined. He had woken up from his slumber from the smell of the baked good as well as from his sister's noisiness.

"Atsu-chan!" Keiko marched over to her youngest brother. Even with her model height, she was still shorter than Murasakibara. However, that didn't stop her from reaching up to pull on the giant's ear. "Why were you trying to run away from me, _hm_?"

"Ow, let go..." Murasakibara cried, flailing one arm as the other managed to hold onto the tray of cake securely. "This is why I didn't want to see onee-chin..."

"Ehhh?" Keiko drawled accusingly, a small smirk on her face. "What happened to the cute three-year-old Atsu-chan who used to say 'onee-chin is my favorite!'? Who's your favorite now? Huh—?"

"Tomo-chin."

Everyone paused what they were doing when they heard the giant's very firm answer. Tomoko and Himuro blinked multiple times while the other two froze with shock. Ichirou was the first to react and immediately shot him a death glare.

"Don't you get any ideas about my cute imouto-chan!" he shouted.

"You're so heartless, Atsu-chan!" Keiko added with a dramatic cry. "Did you already forget about me and Kei?! What about Ukyo and Daisuke?!"

_Who are all these people?_ Tomoko thought in wonder of all of the names. Himuro saw the awe on the girl's face and gave her an explanation.

"Atsushi comes from a big family and he's the youngest with four other siblings. Keiko-san and her fraternal twin Kei-san are the second and third oldest of the Murasakibaras."

_Woah..._ the girl's eyes bulged at the number of siblings. "So Mura-kun is the baby of the family," she commented with a giggle. "A baby giant!"

Murasakibara frowned at the comment. The thought of Tomoko viewing him as a child didn't make him happy. "I'm not a baby," he drawled and stared at the girl.

"Ah, sorry!" she smiled sheepishly, and his expression immediately relaxed as his eyes flitted back to the tray in his hand. "Here, want me to slice the cake for you?"

"Mmmm~ I want all of it."

"Mou! You have to share it, Mura-kun."

"Then I'll share it with Tomo-chin."

Keiko saw their interaction and turned to Himuro with question. When the second-year gave her a silent look of 'it's exactly what it looks like', she chuckled to herself. Never did she ever think that her sweet-loving brother would seriously favor something other than his snacks, not to mention liking them enough to _share_ his food...

"You should give your sister to us. We'll take good care of her," the twenty-three year old said to Ichirou.

"G-Give her...?! No way in hell!" he scoffed incredulously, though when she leaned in towards his face, he grew embarrassed that the beauty was staring at him so intently.

"I knew you'd say that," she winked saucily. Ichirou had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from replying with a snappy remark; but somehow, she was having an unsettling effect on him. He blamed it on the fact that she was a Murasakibara. He reeled back for his own protection when Keiko grinned and poked his chest with a long finger.

"But just know... You might have trouble telling our Atsu-chan that. He never listens."

* * *

As nighttime approached and everyone Ichirou deemed troublesome had long left the apartment, the two siblings finally had time to themselves. Ichirou went to take a shower and Tomoko was laying on the futon as she talked on the phone to catch up with her team.

"..._So, _Ichi-nii told me to tell you and Taiga-chan to give it your all for the Winter Cup," Tomoko said into her phone later that night. She giggled to herself when she remembered the sheer determination in her brother's eyes after Himuro and the Murasakibaras finally left. "He said he'll be rooting for us, especially when we face Yosen."

"Murasakibara-kun's team?"

She nodded even though no one would be able to see it. "Yeah! He really doesn't like Mura-kun for some reason..." She heard Kuroko let out a barely audible chuckle from the other line. "Anyway! Did you find out where Taiga-chan went?" she asked.

"Riko-san said our school has a short-term study abroad program and Kagami-kun went to Seirin's sister school in Los Angeles to study for a month."

"Eh?!" Tomoko pouted, feeling somewhat dejected that the redhead left without saying anything. "Why didn't he tell us?"

"Apparently, he got in contact with his master who taught him basketball. Even Riko-san didn't find out until last night," Kuroko told her. Unbeknown to Tomoko, the blue haired boy had been the target of the brunette coach's wrath because she was displeased with Kagami's sudden disappearance.

The girl grew quiet for a short while before a thoughtful expression surfaced. "Since Taiga-chan's working hard to become stronger... You can't slack off either, Tetsuya-kun!"

"Ah. Riko-san and Kagetora-san will make sure of that," Kuroko replied softly.

"I'll be back next week, so until then..." Tomoko trailed on as a grin stretched across her face. "_Ganbatte_!"

The blue haired player didn't reply right away, but if only the girl could see his expression, she'd see that just hearing her encouragement did wonders for his confidence.

"...I will. Thank you, Tomoko-san."

* * *

_"Ah, young love is so cute!"_

_-Murasakibara Keiko_

* * *

**Since KnB never released the Murasakibara siblings names or vital stats and such, I made them up: Ukyo, age 27 (first son, 200 cm); Kei and Keiko, age 23 (fraternal twins second and third, 189 cm); Daisuke, age 21 (fourth son, 195 cm); and of course, Atsushi, age 16 (fifth son, 208cm). **

**Not surprisingly, they're all titans****—_Sie sind das Essen und wir sind die Jäger! _/slapped.**

**Please leave a review ^_^**


	31. Here We Meet Again

Hey guys! First off, let me just wish you all a happy holidays~ I hope you guys are having the time of your lives and spending this time with the ones you love. I recently finished my first semester of college - the 23rd was my last day of finals - and since then, I've been spending some quality time with family and giving myself some well-deserved me-time. ((And I'm proud to say that I finished off this semester with a 4.0!)) ^_^

Since I was j boolin at home on Christmas Day with the fam, I thought I'd finish this chapter and post it! Think of this as a late Christmas present, from a happy author to her loving fans. ❤

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

.

.

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**_SPARK_**

.

.

.

"Okay, go play cops and robbers."

"Again?!" The whole team widened their eyes at the order from Kagetora. That exercise was becoming a routine on the weekends, since it was always the first thing they had to do for the past two weeks. Kagetora, however, was unfazed.

"The losers will do double strength training," he added. They quickly got ready; the game was exhausting but the losing team had it even worst.

"Yes sir!"

Tomoko and Riko walked in the gym just as the team left. They both were carrying plastic bags from the convenience store. The caramel haired manager had caught the determined and dreading look on her teammates faces and giggled. _Cops and robbers again, huh?_

"How are they doing?" Riko asked as the older Aida turned towards them. His eyes lit up and Tomoko smartly stepped to the side so that she wouldn't get in the middle of their usual exchange.

"Riko-tan! Today you're looking exceptionally—" he cried, dashing over to his daughter to only get a fist in the face. "Owww!"

"I don't care about that!" Riko huffed and rubbed her fist. It was like the more she hung around the man, the more clingier and more embarrassing he gets... "Well?" she repeated. Kagetora stood back up from the blow and pouted.

"They just have to do what they have to do," he said; his voice was being muffled by his hand nursing his face. "On weekends they improve their stamina with fartlek sessions. On weekdays they improve their individual skills. How much more they'll improve in half a month is up to them."

"Endurance training aside, can they really master special moves in less than a month?"

Kagetora hummed lowly at his daughter's question. "The second years... They can probably do it," he said, getting a mental image of Teppei, Hyuuga, Izuki, and the other second-years' progresses. "Airhead already has his style, and he's talented. Four-eyes and cutie have found answers on their own. The remaining three will surely manage something."

"What about the first-year starters? I don't have a doubt that Taiga-chan will be honing his skills with his master in America," Tomoko added before a puzzled expression crossed her features. The man didn't mention Kuroko at all. "But Tetsuya-kun?"

There was a pregnant pause before Kagetora sighed.

"Ah... There's nothing I can do with him."

"Huh?" Riko and Tomoko wrinkled their brows in surprise.

"I've never seen a player like him before. He's like a mutant," he scratched his head in frustration. "It's pathetic, but I have no idea what to teach him. But, well... I've given him some advice. I told him about the wall he's likely to hit soon..."

_There's always a way. No walls are unbreakable, _Tomoko thought silently, looking over towards the woods where her blue haired friend was practicing. Her thoughts mirrored the older Aida's. _But..._

"How he'll overcome it is up to him."

_I wonder how everyone else is doing... Taiga-chan and the Generation of Miracles... _Tomoko mused.

* * *

_Meanwhile in Los Angeles... _

Kagami panted hard as sweat fell off his face. He was out with a few classmates playing streetball. It was still hot in California, so the heat was taking a harder toll on his body than if he was back in Japan. One of his classmates came up to him and chuckled.

"_What's up, Taiga? You giving up already_?" the teenager asked playfully.

"_Shut up_!" Kagami grumbled, straightening himself up again. He wiped some sweat off his chin and got into position again. He knew that his team back home was practicing hard; he can't fall behind now! "_I'm getting a hang of it_," he smirked.

"_One more time_!"

* * *

_Kaijo..._

Kasamatsu caught the ball and, without looking, tossed it towards his team's ace for a basket. Kise slammed it in with ease and scored another point for their makeshift team during practice.

"[H]ey! I can['t] [re]bound if you dunk!" Hayakawa shouted accusingly, his speech containing more holes as his emotions rise. Moriyama merely chuckled on the side.

"Kise... He's pumped."

* * *

_Shutoku..._

Miyaji and Ostubo were surprised with the sudden pass Takao performed, their reaction not fast enough to stop it as it landed in Midorima's hands. The ball then swiftly landed into the basket.

They didn't voice it, but the entire team had noticed. Their two first-year starters were more intense than usual.

* * *

_Yosen... _

Himuro passed his mark and got ready to jump shoot the ball. However, as the ball left his hands, it was skillfully blocked by the purple haired giant on the team.

"Wow, Murasakibara's awesome!"

Upon a team member's praise, Murasakibara merely frowned and walked away. "I'm tired," he complained as he passed by Himuro.

"You're so weird, Atsushi," the second-year commented with a small smile. He could tell that the miracle was pumped for the Winter Cup, even if his expression didn't show it. "You practice harder than everyone else and complain the whole time."

"I don't like practice," Murasakibara answered boredly as he wiped the sweat off his face. His expression then darkened. "I just hate losing even more."

* * *

_Rakuzan..._

"Sei-chan," Mibuchi called from his arm exercising machine, tossing a black towel over to the redhead as he looked over. "Here."

"Thanks."

"He's ridiculous," a third-year commented with awe as Akashi walked down Rakuzan's spacious training gym. "He's already a prodigy, yet he still trains so hard. He must be starved for victory."

Mibuchi shook his head. "No, he's not that weak," he told the third-year. "It's not about doing what it takes to win. Sei-chan told me before... Winning is just like breathing. Victory isn't something he seeks, but a natural part of his life."

"What...?"

"It's a basic bodily function for Sei-chan," the black haired shooting guard finished with an amused twitch of his lips.

* * *

Night fell as Aomine walked down towards the street court near where he lived. He didn't practice with his team, nor did he need to. With a basketball twirling with rapid balance on his fingertips, he merely bumped it up and it flew straight into the worn-out hoop.

Winning was going to be easy.

It always was.

.

_thirty-one_

**here we meet again**

.

Tomoko watched as the big tree in her backyard let down its browning leaves, forming a small pile on the ground before a brisk breeze swept it away again. Her salmon eyes shone brightly with energy as she shut the lid of the container of snacks she prepared for the day.

It was a big day after all; the day of the Winter Cup opening ceremony was finally here. _Not only is the ceremony today, but our match against Touou is happening as well, _Tomoko grinned to herself. _Aomine-kun, I hope you're ready for us. _

_Ding dong!_

"Tomo, can you get that?" Chiharu's soft voice trailed from the other side of the house. The caramel haired girl replied with small 'okay' and set her things down to head towards the front door.

"Who is it?" she asked cheerfully as she swung the door open. Her brows shot up in surprise.

"Hello," Kuroko greeted. He was in his Seirin basketball jacket and sweatpants, and his gym bag was hung across his chest. The light breeze whipped his semi-messy baby blue bed hair around.

"Tetsuya-kun? Why are you here?" Tomoko asked with genuine confusion. She was happy to see her friend, but this wasn't the meeting place for the team so she didn't know why he was here. "Aren't we supposed to meet at the Sendagaya Station?"

"I was around the area, so I thought we could walk there together."

"Oh..." she looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling. "Okay, come in! I'll be done in a second."

Kuroko's soft eyes landed on the car-eared apron the girl donned and figured that she was probably just finishing up in the kitchen. As he stood by the kitchen table and watched her get ready, the older Okuma woman came by and greeted him sweetly.

"Nice to see you again, Kuroko-kun," Chiharu patted the boy's cheek affectionately.

"The pleasure is mine," he replied courteously and gave the woman a small smile.

"Good luck on your first game today," she hummed before giving the boy a knowing wink. "I know Tomo can get carried away with time sometimes and get herself distracted. Thanks for taking care of her."

Kuroko blinked in surprise.

It was amazing how much the woman knew with just the tiniest indicators. In fact, the reason Kuroko had decided come to the Okuma household instead of his usual route to meet up with the team was because of what happened with Hanamiya. He didn't want any more harm to come to the girl.

"I'm ready!" Tomoko called as she bounded up between her mother and the blue haired boy. She swung her bag over her shoulders and smiled. "What are you guys talking about?"

Chiharu only chuckled and ushered the two teens out of her house. "Off you go now. Today is a big day; you don't want to make Kuroko-kun late."

Looking at the time, the girl widened her eyes and nodded. She waved goodbye to her mom. "We'll be going now!" she called before dragging the boy along with her.

"Tomoko-san—"

"If we run all the way there, we can catch the same train as the others," she quipped as they dashed down the streets side by side. "We'll—"

"Actually," Kuroko said, slowing down just enough to signal for the girl to pause. He pointed to the side road a few feet behind them. "I know a shortcut this way. It'll save us a few minutes and we won't have to run the whole way."

"Eh?" Tomoko blinked. "You should've said so earlier!"

"I was trying to..."

The girl grinned sheepishly. "Heh, sorry. Let's go!" she said and grabbed his hand. If it weren't for the fact that they were running just before, Kuroko was sure she would've noticed his pinkened face and pounding heart.

Whatever they had between them right now, Kuroko wished it would stay this way forever.

* * *

"Woah..."

"Wow..."

"What?" Tomoko questioned with a raised brow. Her teammates were looking at her with awe as she and Kuroko met up with them at the station.

"Y-You're actually here on time!" Furihata exclaimed, and his friends all nodded feverously. A small giggle left the girl's mouth at their understandable surprise.

"Oh geez, I'm not late _that_ often..."

They all begged to differ.

"Whatever you did, keep up the good work," Hyuuga whispered to Kuroko as they hung back when the others crowded around the girl to pester her about the day's snack. "It's good to know that she's safe and with us when there's a high pressure game," he said. He wasn't shy to admit that their manager's presence had such a big impact on the team.

Kuroko nodded, fully intending to follow through with the captain's request even without the male voicing it out. Trailing behind the team, he felt calm as they traveled to where the Winter Cup was hosted.

There was no more 'what ifs' anymore. The month of practice and training allotted for each nominated team was over. It was 'do' or 'die' from now on.

"Look at all the jerseys!" Tomoko remarked as she stepped next to the blue haired player, her salmon eyes reflected how starstruck she was upon seeing many of the participating teams filing into the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Not only that, but thousands of fans also came to watch the event. The growing scale of the winter tournament really made it one of the most popular ones around Japan. "I'm so excited!"

"Me too," Kuroko replied with a determined smile.

Walking around were all strong and famous teams; they either appeared in magazines or were interviewed for their exceptional performances. Winter Cup was the real deal.

"The Winter Cup national high school basketball tournament will now commence," the announcer said through the speakers as the teams filed into their lines for the opening ceremony. Because only the players needed to line up, the coaches and managers all hung in the back as the ceremony went on.

While Tomoko waited with Riko, she noticed that someone wasn't present.

_Eh...? I thought Taiga-chan was suppose to come back by today..._ Just in case, she texted the redhead and asked for his whereabouts. Once the announcer finished his speech and introduced all of the participating teams, the players all returned to their prospective coaches.

"What the hell is that idiot Kagami doing?!" Riko bellowed when she realized that the redhead still hadn't returned even _after_ the ceremony. "The opening ceremony's already over, and we have a game this afternoon! What is he thinking?!"

"...Taiga-chan seemed to have forgotten about the time difference," Tomoko piped as she tried to keep in her exasperated yet also amused expression. She only just got the redhead's hasty reply stating that he was rushing over now.

Hyuuga rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable..."

"He'll be here soon," Fukuda encouraged, though he was shocked that Kagami would miss something _this_ important. He and the other first-years looked around the arena with unease.

"But seriously, are we supposed to fight these monsters...?" Furihata and Kawahara gulped at the imposing teams. They were big, tall, and intimidating. The first-years suddenly got a slap on the back of their heads.

"Idiots!" Hyuuga reprimanded with a serious look. "We were invited as guests. Hold your heads high!"

"Y-Yes!"

As Furihata and Kawahara shouted with renewed spirit, the captain then turned around to face away from them. He held a hand to his chest as he let out a shaky breath. _That's right... Right?!_

_You're scared, too..._ Izuki saw through his long-time friend's facade with an unamused looked. Next to him, the caramel haired girl grinned.

_Determination mixed with just a small amount of fear will keep us at our toes at least, _she thought and looked over to Kuroko, who had turned around at the sound of his phone buzzing inside his bag.

Something within the message made the boy look alarmed, because he suddenly requested to step out for a few minutes.

"I told you not to wander off," Riko came up to the boy with a deceivingly nice smile. He had to take a step back when she pulled out a large paper fan, intending to smack him with it.

"Yes, but..." Kuroko held his hands up defensively. "I've been summoned."

"Summoned?" Teppei echoed with confusion.

"I thought Taiga-chan texted you," Tomoko said with a small frown. "It's not him?"

"No. I'm going to see Akashi-kun."

_...Akashi-kun?_ Realization hit Tomoko and the rest of the team once the name registered.

"The captain of the Generation of Miracles..." Izuki murmured with surprise. Though, they really shouldn't be so surprised since it was a given that Rakuzan would be around for the opening ceremony.

After a short pause, Riko finally agreed. "Fine," she told Kuroko. "We've got a game this afternoon. Be back by then." Kuroko nodded and headed out, leaving his team and especially the caramel haired girl (she was clenching and unclenching her hands with a look of bewilderment on her face) in wonder. Riko noticed this and sighed softly.

"Go follow him, Okuma-chan. We'll _both_ feel better that way."

Tomoko perked up and happily trailed behind the blue haired shadow.

* * *

The girl caught up with Kuroko just before they reached the side entrance of the Metropolitan Gymnasium. "Tetsuya-kun!" she called as fell into step with the boy. "Is it alright if I came with?" she asked sheepishly when he looked at her with slight startlement.

"It's fine," he replied before his features grew serious. "But be careful."

"Eh? Why?"

"Akashi-kun... He's not someone to mess with."

Tomoko laughed heartily at the shadow's concern. "I'm sure I can take him on if I met him! Unless he's a black belt or kendo champion..." she trailed off jokingly, but when Kuroko stayed silent, she widened her eyes. "Is he?!"

Kuroko couldn't help but smile a little at her adorable expression. Truth to be told, since Akashi was good at everything, he wouldn't doubt the validity of her suggestion.

"Oi Tetsu, you're finally here," Aomine drawled boredly as he spun a ball at the tip of his finger. His navy eyes trailed to Tomoko and locked with hers with a curious glint. "And if it isn't O-chibi-kuma. I've been wanting to see you again, babe. Let's plan out that date you're gonna owe me, eh?"

"Mine-chin, don't talk to Tomo-chin like that," Murasakibara cut in as he bit into his bar of chocolate and walked over to Tomoko to ruffle her caramel locks. "You already have Sa-chin."

"Satsuki's got nothin' to do with this," the tanned miracle rolled his eyes.

"Kuma-cchi!" Kise's serious mood lifted as soon as he saw the caramel haired girl. He practically ran over to her with a wide, goofy grin. If weren't for the giant purposely blocking his way, he would've succeeded in glomping her. "I missed you so much!" he cried.

"You're too loud, Kise," Midorima grunted with reprimand. He snipped the red scissors in his hand a few times as his eyes twitched behind his glasses. Kise paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Eh! Why do you have scissors anyway?"

"It's obviously my lucky item, you idiot."

"It's dangerous, though," the blonde pouted. "I wish you wouldn't walk around with them out like that. It might hurt Kuma-cchi!"

Midorima twitched again, but he put the scissors in his pocket.

"This is so cool! I get to see you guys all in the same place!" Tomoko exclaimed as she greeted all of them. She was immediately hugged by Kise, and at the same time, was being pulled away by a pissed Murasakibara. Aomine looked like he wanted to smack both of them and Midorima brooded from the side, his hand itching to grab his scissors again.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Kuroko said with slight force behind his tone, making his former teammates settled down and leave the manager alone for a second. The blonde miracle's phone then started ringing loudly and Aomine scowled.

"Your phone's annoying, Kise," he said. "Is it Akashi?"

Kise gasped softly when he saw the message. "It's..." he continued to stare dramatically at his screen before finally looking up. "A text from a fangirl."

"Go die!"

Tomoko let out an amused laugh and it reached the blonde's ears. He started to profusely justify that the fangirls meant nothing to him, though it only seemed to make her giggle even more. Meanwhile, Murasakibara had pulled out a bag of chips but couldn't get the plastic to rip open.

"Mido-chin, let me borrow those scissors," he called. The green haired miracle pulled out the tool before looking away.

"No."

The giant seemed irked by the offhanded refusal but turned to Kuroko next. "Does Kuro-chin have any?"

"No, I don't," Kuroko replied tersely.

_Eh,_ Tomoko came down from her amusement and blinked in realization. _They sound normal enough with each other, but..._

Though the former Teiko team was all speaking casually to each other, as an outsider, Tomoko could feel some tension in the air. She then looked around, realizing that there was still one person missing: the Teiko captain himself.

_What kind of person is Akashi Seijuuro? _she wondered with furrowed brows. _For him to summon all of the Generations of Miracles for a gathering, it must mean that he wanted to discuss something important, right? _

"Why's the guy who summoned us here the last to arrive?" Kise whined next to her. He only sounded upset because he knew that Kasamatsu would kill him if he was out too long. On cue, light footsteps echoed from over the stairs and made everyone turn to look at the latecomer. Tomoko's jaws nearly dropped in surprise.

_Wait a second, I met this guy before! He'__s— _

"I apologize that I've kept you waiting," the former captain of Teiko said from the top of the stairs. His heterochromatic eyes scanned over each player. "Daiki, Ryouta, Shintarou, Atsushi, and Tetsuya. I'm glad to see you again, and I'm deeply moved we were all able to meet like this," his said before his eyes landed on Tomoko. "Ah, your name is Okuma Tomoko, no? We've met briefly. However, I only wish to speak to my former teammates right now."

_He knows my name...?_

While the rest were surprised that they've already met, Tomoko got Akashi's message loud and clear. "Is that so," she blinked with a tilt of her head. In any other case she would say something about it, but she _did_ barge into their team meeting without invite. "I guess that can't be helped."

"Don't be so mean, Aka-chin," Murasakibara murmured as he finally managed to open the bag of chips. He stuck two in his mouth, "Kuro-chin brought her here."

"We actually all know Kuma-cchi," Kise added, hopeful that the girl could stay. Across from him, Aomine yawned lazily.

"Eh, I don't mind if she stays."

Akashi took in his former teammates' comments with a neutral expression. His orders are absolute, but he _was_ curious to learn just how much an influence Okuma Tomoko had on the others if they all doted and defended her.

"Yo, don't be a damper and exclude us!" A new voice bellowed from behind the caramel haired girl. A hand landed on the girl's shoulder, and she and Kuroko looked over to see a grinning Kagami.

"Taiga-chan!"

"I'm back," he said before drawing his attention to the other imposing redhead on the top of the stairs. "So you're Akashi, huh? Glad to meet you."

As soon as those words left the taller redhead's mouth, the rest knew that he was treading on dangerous waters. No one dared to defy Akashi, and the captain definitely didn't appreciate the overly-casual way he was addressed.

"Shintarou, could I borrow those scissors?" Akashi said as he started to walk down the stairs. Knowing not to oppose the redhead, Midorima handed it to him.

"What are you going to use them for?"

"My hair is annoying me. I've been wanting to trim it," Akashi replied good naturedly as he took ahold of the tool. His heterochromatic eyes shifted.

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko warned softly as the captain drew closer to them. Unconsciously, he moved in front of Tomoko and gained the redheaded captain's silent observation.

"You," Akashi regarded Kagami with absolute authority. "You're Kagami-kun, aren't you?" Kagami barely blinked before the scissors jolted extremely close to his face, the tip managing draw a thin line of blood on his cheek.

_What?!_

Like the tall redhead, Kuroko was stunned by the action while Tomoko grew visibly angry. She reached out to grab the tool by the blade and held on tight before Akashi could pull back.

"You could've seriously hurt him if he hadn't dodged in time," she gritted with narrowed salmon eyes.

"Okuma!" Kagami shouted from his shock.

"K-Kuma-cchi! Let go of that!" Kise cried worriedly when he saw that the red headed captain was looking pleasantly surprised at _her_ action.

Akashi smiled when the girl in front of him stood her ground. He was also impressed that Kagami was able to dodge his blow, but she was far more interesting than he had anticipated. With a little bit of force, he pulled the scissors away. "What a graceful dodge and a dignified response for a friend. I suppose I can forgive you and Kagami-kun this time."

_Snip. Snip._

Strands of ruby bangs blew with the wind as the Rakuzan captain clipped off the few long hanging fringes. "However, I don't give out second chances," he continued pleasantly. "In this world, winning is everything. Winners are affirmed completely, and losers are denied completely. I've never lost at anything before, and I never will. I always win and I am always right. I show _no_ mercy to those who oppose me. Not even my own parents."

It was the way his expression morphed into a sinister glower that made everyone shiver. No one doubted that he was a man of his words.

The air was thick and no one knew how to respond, but it all went away when Tomoko suddenly laughed.

"Sorry, but there are no absolute winners," she said firmly after the momentary silence; her eyes didn't break contact this time. "You just haven't experienced a loss _yet,_" she gave him a determined smirk. "I don't want your forgiveness, Akashi-kun."

"Pardon?" Akashi's eyes glowered curiously.

"And I _will_ oppose your absolute view of victory."

Kuroko widened his eyes at her. "Tomoko-san..."

"My, my," the captain almost chuckled. She was the first one to ever refuse his gracious forgiveness. "You really are very unusual, Okuma-san," he told her. "Now I'm glad you came."

His former teammates all saw the way his mismatched eyes held that ominously dangerous glint. They've seen it before—right around the time _that_ personality came out. As surprising as it was to think that Tomoko was able to catch the red emperor's eyes (the last one had been Kuroko, they assumed, and he was able to make use of the phantom's abilities to the team's advantage), it was a bit more _frightening_ to think about it.

Catching Akashi Seijuuro's attention was not always a _good_ thing... Because it will be damn near impossible to escape his calculating eyes once you've been targeted.

"...Akashi," Midorima suddenly cut in, shrugging off the notion. "What is it that you wanted to tell us?"

Akashi handed the miracle back his scissors in response. "I just wanted to say hello to everyone today," he smiled. They furrowed their brows suspiciously when he said nothing more.

"What?" Aomine stood up from his spot on the lower step. "Don't be ridiculous, Akashi! You summoned us just for that?"

"No..." the redhead looked at all of them again with his eerie heterochromatic eyes. "I actually wanted to confirm something, but after seeing your faces, I realized there was no need. No one has forgotten our promise, so everything's fine and I'll meet you on the court," he smiled again and nodded at Tomoko. "I just hope you won't regret it when you finally realize that I am absolute."

Tomoko gave him a determined grin. "Anyone who thinks that winning is everything in basketball is an idiot," she made it a point to look at all of the miracles when she said this. "And I made a promise to Kuroko-kun that I will de-idiotfy you all. Just wait for us on the court!"

"Ah," Akashi didn't give any indication that he was affected by her declaration. "I'll look forward to your fruitless attempts to oppose me, Okuma-san. Do your best."

"_Gladly_."

Meanwhile, the miracles, Kagami, and Kuroko were shocked belong belief. _Just... What the hell is this...?_ they stared, wide-eyed. Midorima pushed up his glasses with a knowing frown.

He had predicted that the redhead's and the girl's clash wouldn't end swimmingly after all, and he was right.

"—AKASHI!" The sudden shout caused everyone divert their attention from the two's high-tension confrontation.

A blonde haired male came into view and jumped from the very top step of the cement staircase and landed on the bottom with extreme agility. He looked around with excited dark forest orbs dashing across each miracle's face. "You didn't tell us where you were going and it's been a while so..." he started to say when he saw Akashi, but his words started to trail off when he saw the person behind the redhead.

The miracles and Kagami all looked from Tomoko to the Rakuzan small forward as the two stared at each other with disbelief.

The day was just getting more complicated.

"Oi, you know her?" Kagami asked when he couldn't take the silent staring anymore.

"..._Hime_? Is that you?"

_H-Hime?!_ Everyone except for Akashi thought incredulously as Hayama rushed over to give Tomoko an intimate greeting. Their jaws dropped when she returned his affection by burying her head into his chest.

"..._Ko-tan?_!" she cried happily. "Oh my gosh... I didn't think I'd see you here!"

More confusion ensued.

"Hey!" Kise was the first one to react and say something. He pointed an accusing finger at Hayama and scowled, "Who are you to Kuma-cchi?!"

"Who are _you_ to Hime?" Hayama mocked and gave the blonde miracle a proud, shit-eating snaggle-tooth grin. He was completely aware of the many pairs of eyes glaring daggers at him, and he fully enjoyed the attention.

His attitude was annoying to most of them, to say the least.

"Kotarou," Akashi warned patiently.

"Oh yeah, Reo-nee told me to find you," he grinned at the unamused redhead, being too caught up in the moment to realize he was actually testing his captain's temper.

"You haven't answered our question," Kagami raised his brows as the Rakuzan blonde wrapped his arms around Tomoko familiarly and protectively. "Don't touch her so casually! Just who the hell are you?!"

"Actually, he is—" Before Tomoko could answer, Hayama surprised her by boldly kissed her on the top of her forehead. Anger and jealousy immediately boiled within the others, but the girl was too taken off guard to notice. "K-Ko-tan!" she squeaked in surprise instead.

"What? I used to do this all the time~" Hayama looked at her affectionately before flashing the rest a triumphant grin. "After all, Hime's _betrothed_ to me_."_

"..."

Blink.

Blink.

Blink.

"..._WHAT_?!"

* * *

_"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed."_

_-Carl Jung_

* * *

**Reviews = my xmas present ;)**

**...Did anyone expect it to be Hayama? Luv that ball of energy.**


	32. The Dragon

Happy 2017! _Spark_ survived another year—thanks for all of the support and love TT-TT I loved all of the responses I got last chapter and felt proud that I flipped your world upside down for a second when I revealed Hayama as Tomoko's childhood friend. Throughout the story, I've dropped subtle hints—he was a year older and he was somewhat similar to Kise (loud and affectionate aside, they both have two older sisters!). I'm glad no one knew until the last moment, though! It made finally revealing it that much more satisfying :D

This chapter is structured a little differently. The majority will be past memories, and after the title break, it jumps back to the present.

Enjoy!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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**_SPARK_**

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A small girl, about five years in age, with caramel locks chopped to her bony shoulders and shiny, doe-like salmon eyes peered around the large elementary school courtyard with curiosity.

"Slow down. You don't want to fall," Chiharu called lightly when the little girl skipped past the security guard who opened the gate for them. After she had picked up Tomoko from her kindergarten class, they spent the afternoon shopping for ingredients for a cake. Since they were around the area, she decided to meet Ichirou, who was attending fourth grade, after school. It looked like they were a few minutes early, though.

"When's Ichi-nii coming out?" she pouted. Although the security guard let them in, he told the mother and daughter to stand by the gate since the bell was about to ring to signal the end of the day. "What if there's too many people and he misses us?"

"Then you better keep your eyes wide open for him," Chiharu said. She chuckled when the little girl actually opened her eyes wider as she concentrated on the doors of the school.

"Eyes open, eyes open..." the little girl chanted for a while before getting bored. Casting her eyes away from the unmoving doors, she instead focused on the small patch of white flowers on the grass nearby. Picking out the pretty ones, the girl presented them to her mother with a wide grin. "Mama, flowwas!"

"Those are pretty, aren't they?" The woman mused before twisting them into a flower crown and stuck it on her daughter's head "There, now you're as pretty as a flower."

The girl giggled giddily and stuck a few flowers in her mother's hair as well. "Now we match!"

Chiharu nodded just as the time struck 3 o'clock. Within a minute, the courtyard started to fill with sounds of children's voices and shoes as they filed out.

"Ichi-nii~! Ichi-nii~!"

Chiharu barely had time to grab the excited girl before she slipped away to find her brother. "T-Tomo?" the older woman panicked, trying to find a head of caramel in the sea of students. "Tomoko!"

But she was gone.

* * *

"Mama?"

When Tomoko turned back to her mom's call, she realized that the raven haired woman was nowhere to be seen. Even on her tippy toes, she was short compared to the other kids. More parents had come in to pick up their children, but none of them looked like her mom so she gave up and took another step forward.

"Ah—ow!"

She jumped when a blonde haired boy suddenly fell face-flat next to her. The boy looked in pain and mad as he rubbed his red and dirtied face. "Mama says to always watch where you're going," she said matter-of-factly while wagging her finger like she's seen her mom do a few times. "Are you okay?"

"I'm oka—wait! You're the one who tripped me!" the boy grumbled out as he pointed accusingly at Tomoko's shoe. Rather, what was under it. He could've avoided falling on his face if he had enough space to steady himself, but it was impossible when his shoelaces were caught under the girl's shoe.

"Sowwy!"

The blonde haired boy, named Hayama Kotarou, 'hmph'ed as Tomoko lifted her small foot. He took the laces into his hands but struggled to tie it as the strings continued to slip out of the loop whenever he tried to knot it.

"Heh heh!"

Hayama heard the younger girl giggle and his face bloomed a bright red. "S-Stop laughing! I'm just messin' up right now 'cause my hand hurts from the fall..." he tried explaining as Tomoko crouched in front of him and took the laces out of his hands.

"The dragon goes unda the bridge... Through the loop," she started to sing, confusing the boy at first as she looped the two strings like bunny ears and crossing one under to tie them together. At the last step, she smiled brightly at Hayama before pulling the two strings tight. "And finally... into the castle! See!"

He looked at the girl's finished work. The knot wasn't perfect; in fact, one loop was bigger than the other... Although Hayama should have felt embarrassed by the fact that someone a year younger knew how to tie shoelaces better than he could (he really could do it if he concentrated really hard; he'd have to fault his mom for always tying his shoes for him and got him used to it), one look at the beaming girl's earnest face and he didn't care anymore and couldn't stay mad.

She was actually quite cute. With the flower crown and wind blowing gently at her pretty sundress, she looked like a...

_Hime..._

"There you are!"

A beautiful raven haired woman and another boy wearing his school's uniform rushed over towards the two with relieved faces. "Mama! Ichi-nii!" Tomoko squealed happily as she pulled at her brother's pants.

"You had me and your brother worried," Chiharu chided at Tomoko before glancing at Hayama. "Oh? Who's this?"

"I made a new friend! He's, um," the girl had to pause because she realized that she didn't know the first-grader's name.

"Hayama Kotarou!" Hayama said casually and the girl nodded, introducing him again to her mom with a '_It's Ko-tan!'_. However, he had to take a step back when the taller boy next to Tomoko suddenly glared down at him with suspicion. _Woah, why is he glaring at me..._

"It's nice to meet you," Chiharu greeted the boy before looking at the clock. She grabbed both of her children's hands before giving Hayama the same radiant smile. "We have to head back now. Where do you live, Hayama-kun? Do you want to walk with us?"

"Ko-tan, Ko-tan! Come play at our house~ Mama's making a cake!"

He felt Tomoko's free hand tugging at his sleeve. Growing excited, he almost agreed but then his face wrinkled into a sour pout when he saw a familiar figure waiting besides a black car by the entrance.

Following his gaze towards the figure, Chiharu nodded in understanding. "Maybe next time, then. You're always welcome to come by our home. You'll see Ichirou around school, after all."

"We're on different floors so we _won't_ see each other," Ichirou finally voiced out with the same matter-of-fact tone. "I don't wanna hangout with a snot-nosed little kid."

"You love playing with your _five-year-old_ sister though," Chiharu laughed at the comment.

"Imouto-chan's different!"

Although Ichirou was undeniably spiteful towards him for some reason, Hayama found that the older boy was kind of cool with his offhandish demeanor and sharp gaze. He wanted to be friends with the older boy if it means that he'll get to hangout with both of the siblings.

"Well then, we'll be going now. Goodbye Hayama-kun. See you around."

Hayama snapped out of his stupor as the three started to leave. The caramel haired girl was waving at him.

"Bye-bye, Ko-tan~!"

"B-Bye-bye!" he shouted after them, quickly taking note of the grade level and full name on Ichirou's grey backpack before they disappeared around the corner. The figure standing next to the car opened the door for him as he bounded up.

"How was school today, Kotarou-kun?" the old man asked as he took the backpack that the boy carelessly tossed aside. Hayama squirmed in his seat with excitement; it was the first time since he started attending this elementary school that he felt excited to go back.

"I wanna walk home after school from now on!" he declared loudly, causing the driver to nearly miss the brake pedal at a stop.

The Hayamas were upper-middle class citizens and rising, especially since the Hayama head's business was taking off steadily. For their only child's happiness and convenience, the Hayamas had decided to allow Kotarou to attend a regular elementary school around the area instead of a private one an hour away. But, they still insisted on having someone taking the boy to and from school.

"You're only in first-grade, Kotarou-kun. It's too dangerous to walk alone," the old man tried to reason.

"Then I'll walk with someone!" Hayama's forest green eyes shone determinedly, having a certain pair of siblings in mind.

_Okuma Ichirou and..._

The old man could only glance at the enthusiastic little boy from the rear-view mirror before shaking his head in defeat. He knew that in the young Hayama's over-excitable state, his words would only go in one ear and leave the other.

_...Wait a second._

The first-grader's expression suddenly turned into devastation, alarming the old man.

_What's Hime's name?!_

* * *

"Yo, some first-grader is looking for you."

Ichirou was wiggling the straw from his banana milk between his teeth when a classmate came back from the bathroom. He was currently eating lunch with his favorite drink in hand. "What?" he questioned nonchalantly. "Who?"

The classmate shrugged. "I dunno, but he's waiting outside—oh, nevermind, here he is," he said as Hayama barged into the classroom.

"I finally found you, Ichi-nii!"

The fourth-grader nearly spat out his milk at the familiar nickname only his little sister used. He was surprised to see the little squirt; he hadn't seen the blonde in over three days and practically forgot about it, but suddenly there he was.

"You have a brother?" one of his friends asked curiously. The boy only ever talked about a little sister, and besides, this blonde haired kid didn't resemble Ichirou the slightest.

"No!" Ichirou replied hastily before staring at Hayama straight in the eye. "Don't call me that! I don't know you."

Hayama wasn't deterred and came up to Ichirou with sparkles in his eyes. He slapped his small hands on the desk, "Let me go to your house today!"

"E-Eh?!" the fourth-grader widened his dark maroon eyes. "Why would I do that?"

"Because we're friends!"

The guy sitting next to Ichirou sniggered as his hand came down on his back, "Oi, you're friends with a first-grader?

"O-Of course not!" he bellowed with a scowl. He waved the hand that was holding his drink at Hayama. "We're not friends!"

_But I wanna play with Hime..._ The energetic blonde thought. The engines in his little brain turned as he watched the fourth-grader suck on the banana milk with gusto. He grinned when Ichirou let out a small huff at the now-empty carton. Without another word, he dashed out of the classroom.

"What's with him?" his friend commented with confusion before looking at the seated male. "And why'd he leave so quickly?"

Ichirou shrugged uncaringly as he stuffed his face with rice. His valuable lunchtime was cut down with Hayama's sudden intrusion and he wanted to eat his food before time was up. He swallowed slowly; he had a ritual of finishing off his favorite drink before eating the rest of his bento everyday, though it did leave him thirsty at the end without a drink.

The classroom door suddenly slammed open again, and the first-grader presented himself with an armful of banana milk cartons. He walked up to Ichirou excitedly and lined the cartons down in front of the boy.

"Where did you—"

"From the cafeteria," Hayama cut off with his snaggle-toothed grin.

"But—" _That's all the way on the ground floor!_ Ichirou thought incredulously. Even if he wanted to go down to the cafeteria fast to get his banana milk, it still took him more than a few minutes' time. "Are these for me?" he asked instead, suspicion lacing his tone.

Hayama nodded, "If you let me come play at your house!"

"Hmph! Who said I'll let a puny kid hang around me?"

"I'll buy you lots of banana milk everyday~"

Even as a first-grader, he was good at bribing.

"E-Everyday?"

"Everyday!"

Ichirou's strong, fourth grade will finally caved. He was weak against his favorite drink—and foods, as he'll come to realize in the future on how easy it was for his little sister to string him along to do things as long as she mentioned all his favorite things. He was a sucker for bribery.

"F-Fine," he huffed.

"Thanks, Ichi-nii!" Hayama's eyes sparkled and he did a victory dance.

"I told you to not call me that!" Ichirou demanded as he stuck a straw into a carton of banana milk. He then stuck his nose in the air haughtily; if he was going to have Hayama hang around him and his imouto-chan, then he might as well establish his superior status over the little squirt.

"What do I call you then?"

"Ichirou-_senpai, _of course!"

* * *

It wasn't long before seeing the young blonde with the Okuma siblings became almost a daily occurrence.

"Over here! Over here!"

Tomoko was squealing as she and the boy ran around looking at all of the slides in the waterpark the Okuma family was visiting. It was the first day of their summer break and what better way to spend it than to cool off at a waterpark?

Hayama Kotarou had started a habit of visiting Ichirou during the elementary school's lunch periods to give him banana milk and then showing up around his house a few days a week. It was almost weird how the blonde started regarding Ichirou as a cool older brother out of the blue (it fueled the older Okuma's ego though) and he seemed to be attached to both of the siblings. Of course, since there was always more work for a fourth grade student than there was for one in first grade, Hayama usually played with Tomoko and the two seemed to be getting closer day by day.

"Ichirou-senpai, I _triple_ dog dare you to go on _that_ one!" Hayama shouted while pointing to the tall, twisting black slide at the far side of the park. It was shaped like a viper, and to be honest, looked terrifying.

The two kids giggled like a maniac when they saw the older boy gulp.

"Think I won't?!" Ichirou barked defensively. "I'm not a scaredy cat like you!"

"L-Let's see who gets there first then! C'mon Hime!" Hayama, although scared, didn't want to admit that he was and tried to charged toward the slide with Ichirou when Yuuma's arm reached out and grabbed the boy's head gently, successfully keeping him in place.

"Hayama-kun, you and Tomo are too little to ride that," Chiharu explained with a small smile. She found it amusing that the blonde would refer to her son as _senpai_ and daughter as _Hime_, but it was cute nonetheless. She loved having the energetic boy around. "Sorry, but you two are going to have to stick with me on this side of the park."

"B-But!" the two whined simultaneously, their pouts mirroring each other.

Yuuma chuckled. "I'll take Ichirou to the other rides, and we'll meet at the food court in two hours, how about that? Then we can rest at the float river later. I heard they have really awesome floats this year," he finished with a small wink.

The three children brightened up.

"Okay!"

* * *

"...meenie miney..."

"...a tiger by the..."

"...tiger go..."

"..._miney mo_!"

"Did you guys decide on which ride to go on next?" Chiharu asked.

Tomoko's little finger landed on the area in the corner of the park that was dug out like small beach. The 'ocean' was just a pool with soft wave motions hitting against the sand and many parents were sunbathing as their kids played about in the water and sand.

"We're gonna build a sand castle!" the caramel haired girl replied before running towards the sandy area with Hayama in tow. Though, thanks to the boy's fast legs, he ended up getting there faster than her. Behind them, Chiharu watched from a short distance as she settled down in a chair.

Picking up some tools left in the sand, the two started building the base of their castle. But as the building progressed, it looked less and less like what they were trying to make.

Hayama was circling around the area with his hands in front of his eyes, forming a viewfinder with his fingers as he pretended to zoom in and out of the image of their castle.

"It's..." he tried to find the right word for it as Tomoko continued to dump damp sand onto the structure and patting it down methodically. Instead of having bucket molds to resemble the bases of a castle, they somehow made it look like lumps of rocks on top of each other and each pillar twisted in an odd way. "It's a masterpiece!"

"Yes! Fit for a king!" Tomoko giggled.

"And for Hime!" Hayama said decisively. "I'll build a _giant_ castle when I grow up and we'll live in there!" his face was beaming as he waved his arms animatedly, "Imma also build a race car track inside!"

"A race car track?"

He nodded enthusiastically, "Because I want to be a NASCAR racer when I grow up! I saw them racing in _America_ and they're so fast! Like zoom, whoosh!"

Tomoko widened her eyes in surprise. "Does that mean Ko-tan will go to_ A-An...Anmerica_?" she struggled to pronounce the country, but her lips formed into a small pout. "Is that far away?"

"Um... I saw it on a map and it wasn't too far away. But I'm gonna bring NASCAR to Japan!" Hayama said while adding a moat around their 'castle'. He looked up at Tomoko with a questioning grin, "What do you want to be when you grow up Hime?"

Hayama had long since learned the girl's name, but it's become a habit for him to call her with that nickname. Tomoko was like one of those Disney princesses... Always smiling and always so nice.

"I want to..." Tomoko looked thoughtful for a second before her eyes sparkled. "I want to be happy. And, I want everyone around me to be happy too!"

Even though Hayama was only six at the time, his young mind would soon come to terms with the type of person the girl in front of him was.

In his eyes, she has one of the most pure and genuine personalities a person could possess.

"Then I'll make sure Hime will be happy for the rest of her life!" Hayama said with his trademark snaggle-toothed grin. He stuck out his pinky enthusiastically. "I promise!"

Tomoko blinked cutely at the outstretched pinky before curling her own around it.

In her eyes, he was someone she knew she'll treasure for the rest of her life.

* * *

Hayama stared intently at the television show one of his sisters was watching one night after he finished his homework. He was now eight years old, attending third grade in the same school Tomoko was attending in second and Ichirou was in his last year.

"Why's he doing that?" he asked when the male lead got down on one knee.

"He's proposing," his junior high sister explained, surprised that he would have enough attention span to pay attention to what was happening in the drama. "Guys do that to propose to the girl they really like and want to spend the rest of their lives with. It's happy and romantic! Just imagine a prince charming—"

But Hayama was no longer listening.

_So you propose to someone to make them happy... That's easy!_

* * *

A few days later, Hayama was ready.

"...Um, so what are we doing?" Tomoko titled her head to the side. They were hanging out when the blonde decided to drag her along to a nearby park.

He grinned, "I'm gonna propose to you!"

"Okay!" she didn't quite understand. "Is that a new game?"

Hayama quickly shook his head. He tried to recall exactly how his older sister described the reason for proposing to someone and thought back to how it worked from that girly drama.

"So like, when I do this," he was waving his hands around to motion what he was trying to do. He made Tomoko stand still in front of him before going down on one knee. He reached out one hand to the girl, "I'm proposing! And you accept it and then we can be together forever! That'll make you happy, right?"

Of course, the boy seemed to miss all of the crucial factors to "proposing"... First of all, the guy is supposed to have a _ring_. He didn't pay _that_ close of an attention to the drama after all.

Tomoko, however, seemed to understand what he was trying to do and her eyes lit up. "Oh! Mama said married couples stay together forever. Is that what we're doing?"

It was as if suddenly, everything made sense. _Nee-chan could've just said to get married if that's the same thing as proposing. Geez!_

"Ko-tan?"

"Let's get married then, Hime!" Hayama responded a little too loudly with enthusiasm. The entire park could hear him, and the few adults who were there giggled at the cuteness. Unfortunately for him, Ichirou was passing by the park after running an errand.

The older boy knew that nickname and the boisterous voice behind it _very_ well.

"Did... You... Just..."

"Ichirou-senpai, you're here just in time!" Hayama grinned when he saw the older Okuma stalking over towards them. "You can be our wedding pastor!"

Ichirou set down a bag of groceries on top of the boy's head, "Who do you think you are?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Hayama Kotarou~!"

"That's not what I meant!"

"Then... What about 'Hime's husband'?"

"Definitely not!"

_"Eh, why not?"_ Hayama and Tomoko questioned at the same time. Ichirou almost staggered back in shock; the two gave him the biggest puppy dog eyes.

"B-Because! You can't just marry my imouto-chan so casually! You're just a little squirt!" the older Okuma huffed, naming off different reasons from the current Japanese economy to the laws of the country. It only further confused the two smaller kids. He rolled his eyes and poked Hayama's forehead, "Finally, you're too annoying."

"Ichi-nii sure knows a lot!"

Tomoko was gushing at his seemingly vast knowledge about everything. Ichirou smirked cockily; it made his heart swell with satisfaction that his sister looked up to him.

"But... Can I marry Ko-tan, please? I like him!" To emphasize it, she hugged Hayama tightly.

"He's a weak punk! He can't support my cute imouto-chan!"

"Hey! I'm not weak!" the blonde cried defensively. "I challenge you to a competition! If I win, then I get to marry Hime!"

"Who said I was gonna accept this challenge?" Ichirou turned his head. "You can't marry her regardless!"

"I get it..." Hayama baited with his snaggle tooth sticking out as he pointed an accusing finger at Ichirou. "You're scared!"

If Ichirou was easy to bribe, he was even easier to bait.

"I get to chose the competition!" the older boy growled and quickly looked around the park for something to do. There was an empty basketball court and someone abandoned a ball nearby. "Best 2 out of 3! And the deal is a _one_ day marriage pass!"

A moment passed where the two boys aimed their determined glare at each other silently.

The truth was, neither of them knew how to play basketball.

Ichirou wasn't on a sports team of any sort, but he was deciding to try out for one once he got into junior high... Of course, that was still a year away. And as for Hayama, his hobby was skateboarding and he was going to suggest a skateboarding contest (because he knew that was probably the only thing he'd beat the older boy in).

"Okay, fine!"

"Fine!"

It was Tomoko who went to retrieve the ball on the court. It felt a little flat in her small hands, but she grinned and raised it above her head anyway.

"Whoever wins marries me for a day!"

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_thirty-two_

**the dragon**

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"Hold on hold on hold on—"

"Your _childhood friend_..."

"...Is someone on the Rakuzan basketball team?!" the team exclaimed after Tomoko revealed her relationship with the Rakuzan small forward. She had already given the Generation of Miracles a shortened version of the story due to limited time and Riko's command for them to return, but upon Kagami's insistence and the rest of the team's confusion, she then spent the remaining time before their match against Touou to tell her tale.

"You know, to think that he actually won that best 2 out of 3 match with a sixth grader though..."

"No wonder he's on Rakuzan now," Kawahara gulped as he finished Furihata's sentence. They looked back at their caramel haired manager and was surprised to see a blank expression marring her face at their realization.

"Oh!" she suddenly cried, causing the first-years to jump slightly. She giggled, "Even I didn't know he was that into basketball. He didn't join a team or anything when he was in my old hometown... Besides, he didn't even win that match."

"E-EH?!"

"Well, it's more accurate to say that neither won. I mean, the ball was kind of flat so when Ichi-nii tried to dribble it wouldn't bounce back up high enough. Ko-tan was more nimble and faster on his feet so he was actually able to keep up with dribbling... But he was too short to shoot the ball."

"Wait," Izuki blinked in confusion. "So how did...?"

"How did he win that deal?" Tomoko laughed. "Ko-tan's always been good at finding Ichi-nii's weak spots. After running around the court non-stop for thirty minutes, they got tired and Ko-tan offered to buy Ichi-nii ice-cream for a week."

_That's all it took?!_ the guys thought incredulously.

"S-So..." Koganei voiced out after processing all that information. "What Kagami and Kuroko was freaking out about the entire time was just that? You aren't seriously engaged... Right?"

"Heh, I love Ko-tan, but we're just friends."

"Tch. That guy gets on my nerves," Kagami leaned his back against the lockers as his face grew sour just remembering that annoying attitude. "Don't like 'em."

"I feel the same way," Kuroko agreed quietly.

Tomoko didn't quite understand her two friends grudge against Hayama, but she chalked it up to his tendency of doing things that would unknowingly offend people. _But what did Ko-tan do that made everyone so mad?_ she tried to recall.

It's been three years since she last saw her childhood friend, and they have much to catch up on, but with Hayama everything felt natural. Even during that short meeting with the Generation of Miracles, from his attitude to his affection, she could tell he hasn't changed much.

In Tomoko's mind, nothing he did felt weird. But sadly, she didn't understand what _normal_ personal space was—it was a blessing and a curse.

"Ko-tan likes to mess around," she waved her hand with her tongue out cutely. "It's just how he is. Don't mind, don't mind."

"That's not the point, brat," Kagami scuffed. "Don't go around causing that kind of misunderstanding! That _punk_ sure knows how to rile people up..."

"Mou, Taiga-chan~ You're sounding more and more like Ichi-nii."

"I do not!"

"Sometimes you do, Kagami-kun."

"W-What? Kuroko too?!"

Hyuuga shook his head as he stood by Izuki and Teppei. With the mystery around the blonde haired childhood friend solved, Kagami and Kuroko seemed to be much more at ease. Well, being _at ease_ was still a distant feeling. Riko cleared her throat to gain the team's attention.

"As relaxing as it is to chat like this," she started while her eyes glazed over with seriousness. "It's _time_."

The three had quieted down and Kagami nodded, growing serious as well. "Yeah. What happened earlier had me at a loss, but that's all. More importantly right now..."

Everyone knew what the redhead was thinking and held their heads high in determination. Riko and Tomoko smiled.

"Let's go kick some Touou butt!"

"Yeah!"

They are headed towards their first match of the tournament.

* * *

Even though it was only the first day, the seats were already brimming with viewers.

However, Tomoko could tell that most of them were here for the rising tyrant, Touou Academy. Her thoughts were confirmed when the roars heightened once their opponents stepped out to the court. To say the crowd was different from Interhigh was an understatement. It wasn't just bigger and grander, it felt entirely like another reality with millions of cheers and blinding lights.

"Amazing," Hyuuga, along with the others, watched the Touou players from his seat on the bench. "You can tell they placed second in the Interhigh."

"Don't lose your cool," Riko instructed. She understood the level of stress and intimidation that her team was facing, but to come this far as a team held some merit that they should hold their heads high for. "We know..." she paused.

One look at her team and she realized that they weren't watching Touou with fear, but with determination on their faces.

_Looks like there's no need for me to say more,_ she smiled.

Tomoko glanced at Kuroko. The history between the shadow and his former light ran deeper than meets the eye, and with already a crushing defeat by Aomine the first time, this game was crucial.

It wasn't just about advancing in the Winter Cup and winning... She knew his other mission was to bring back the fire within Aomine.

_It's only possible if we win_, she furrowed her brows slightly, remembering how Touou's win the first time only made the tanned miracle sink further into his void. _We'll win this one._

"Is there something on my face?"

The manager snapped out of her silence when Kuroko blinked at her with genuine confusion. She realized that she had been staring at him when her thoughts trailed off. "Oh sorry. I was just thinking about something," she said sheepishly.

Kuroko didn't seem very sated with her vague response, but he didn't pursue it and instead noticed something when he looked down.

"Tomoko-san, your shoes."

She casted her eyes downward to see what was wrong with her shoes and saw that the laces were untied. "Eh~ When did that happen?" she mumbled and took a seat next to the blue haired shadow.

Kuroko's light sapphire eyes lingered on her as she concentrated on tying the white laces. It made him notice something interesting; it looked like Tomoko was quietly singing a song to herself as she pulled the loops tight and tied them together. After she was done, she looked over at him and caught him staring.

"Is there something on my face?" she teased while poking the shadow's pouty cheeks.

"T-Tomoko-san..."

"It's time. Both schools, please line up!"

At the referee's announcement, Kuroko and the rest stood up. Tomoko gave her team a final once-over and felt a surge of reassurance calming her mind. Despite that the high-tension national tournament was a first for everyone, they were focused.

"Taiga-chan, Tetsuya-kun..." she was between the duo as her salmon eyes were focused on the other three second-year's backs. "Our seniors have worked so hard to get here. We can't let them down now, can we?"

"What are you talkin' about?" Kagami's large hand appeared on top of her head. It was warm. "We _won't_ let them down."

"We definitely won't lose this time," Kuroko promised.

A smile graced Tomoko's lips and she nodded. _Of course. I believe in you guys with all my heart. _

On Touou's side, although Aomine couldn't hear their conversation, he knew exactly what was said between the three by just watching their exchange. It wasn't just Kagami and Kuroko—the entire Seirin team felt different today and it made him crack a grin.

By treading into his lair, they have awakened the beast.

It was slay or be slayed.

_Today, we'll settle things once and for all._

* * *

_"If you keep dwelling on past mistakes, how can you change the future?__"_

_-Okuma Tomoko_

* * *

**Please leave a review!**


	33. No Intention of Losing

Finally managed to get this one out! It was a real struggle for me because I actually had this chapter done like a week after I posted 32, but then the WHOLE THING ERASED bc of some technical difficulties. So I had to start all over... Second semester has started for me and my schedule is packed - especially since I suck at chemistry and need to get all the help that I can receive TT-TT pray for me that I pass chem with at least a B...

Anyway, please enjoy this belated chapter!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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_"The beginning will be important. Our opponents placed second place in the Interhigh. On top of that, they doubled our score last time. The difference between our strengths is glaring, so if you think they're underestimating us, don't hold back. Start at full throttle and take the lead!"_

That _was_ the game plan. It didn't take a genius to see how much Touou had improved since the last time Seirin played them, and their only hope was to take control at the start. But even so, Aomine had managed to gain the first points with a surprise ally-oop.

And even with Kuroko's newly released Ignite Pass Kai, Touou got past the initial shock and was going strong with follow ups. With no opening or weakness to exploit, a one-on-one with Aomine seemed like the last logical thing to do; Tomoko and the rest had held their breaths when the redhead seemingly tried to make a move durning their intense stare down and was relieved when he made the mature choice to pass to Izuki instead.

Another breath of relief came when Hyuuga revealed his barrier jump and scored three-pointers for Seirin. It had visibly irked Touou, but they were hardly deterred as Sakurai suddenly gained super precision with his quick releases as well. There was a lot of back-and-forth with scoring; the lead Touou had during the first quarter was small, and right when the buzzer sounded, they were tied. Seirin had managed to keep up.

But then came the inevitable in the second quarter.

Aomine cracked Kuroko's Vanishing Drive.

And all hell broke loose within Kuroko.

"Don't do it, Kuroko!" Izuki shouted, eyes widening at fully knowing the consequences of the boy's actions if he carried through with it right now.

_None of our marks are shaken yet! He has to get ahold of himself!_ Tomoko jolted up from her seat at the bench, "Tetsuya-kun!"

But it was too late; the shadow's palm had already hit the high-velocity spinning ball for his Ignite Pass Kai again. She could already see what was about to happen by Aomine's unfaltering navy eyes. Time stood still as his tanned arm reached out and stopped the ball effortlessly.

The ball fell to the ground with a deafening bounce.

"Do you think the same move would work twice against me? Try not to disappoint me so much, Tetsu," Aomine narrowed his eyes. "If this is your answer to defeating me, I'll make it clear. It's useless effort."

* * *

Kuroko was pulled out.

Tomoko could tell by the way that he merely agreed without any form of argument that he was disheartened. But more so, he was frustrated beyond words could convey—the few droplets of sweat and tears falling down from his towel-concealed face was the tell-tale sign.

No doubt Aomine's words were ringing in his head like a never-ending chant.

_"It's useless effort. It's useless effort. It's _useless_ effort."_

Tomoko let out an airy breath; their knees were barely touching as she sat there besides him in silence. Her hand hovered over his clenched and shaking fists, but paused as if the slightest contact would shatter the boy. She knew he wasn't fragile, though.

Her hand curled into a ball instead and knocked the side of Kuroko's lowered head, soft enough to not hurt him, but firm enough to make him snap out of it.

"'It's not useless effort and I'll show him that there's no such thing'," Tomoko said like she was repeating a message. She wasn't looking at Kuroko when he raised his head; rather, her eyes were trained on Kagami as he took off on the court. "That's what Taiga-chan said. He _totally_ stole what I was going to say to you, but we'll give him the spotlight this time."

"...'We'?" Kuroko asked quietly. This time, her salmon eyes locked onto his and she grinned.

"Riko-san's dad mentioned it during camp, and I've watched you guys long enough to see it, too. Whenever Taiga-chan is on the court, be it a one-on-one with a Generation of Miracles or during teamplay, you always have his back and his mind effortlessly acknowledges that. Your presence on the court is important, but Taiga-chan has realized that if he can't get out of the mindset of being saved all the time, he can't exert his full strength," she explained swifty. "So right now, he can depend only on his own strength."

As she said that, Aomine broke free from Kagami just in time before the redhead could snatch the ball away during their one-on-one stance. However, he wasn't prepared for Kagami to spin around just as quickly and in a flash, an arm was snaking up behind him as he went for the dunk.

It caught everyone, especially Aomine himself, by surprise when the redhead successfully smacked the ball out of his hands. Kuroko stared with wide eyes; hearing the caramel haired manager's words made a lot more sense now.

"Kagami-kun..." _Is this his true strength?_

It was then the blue haired shadow realized something, too. While Kagami developed the mindset of always being saved, he had developed the compulsion of always needing to save someone. Otherwise, he was afraid of being abandoned again.

_The pain of being cast aside..._

But this time, he knows it won't happen with this team—with _Kagami_.

"You'll return to the court soon enough. I told Taiga-chan this once, so it's only fair that I tell you, too," Tomoko encouraged with a twinkle in her eye. "It's _really_ not so bad being a cheerleader once in awhile!"

* * *

_What's going on? How is Kagami keeping up?_

This one was one of the many thoughts that ran across each Touou player's mind as well as those watching from the sidelines. Regular audience aside, the Generation of Miracles were all shocked as well to the sudden shift within the Seirin redhead; he wasn't necessarily beating Aomine, but he was doing a damn good job at keeping up with and even blocking the formless shooter's many plays.

_It can't be that he's predicting Aomine's moves. Aomine is so fast, if you wait until he moves, you can't respond in time,_ Midorima thought with brows furrowed. He didn't believe this was _actually_ Kagami. Likewise, a few sections to his right, Kise was amazed by Kagami's sudden boost in skill.

"It's hard to put into words, but he feels like a wild beast right now," the blonde miracle commented to Kasamatsu._ What did he do?_

_He must have went to see Alex_, Himuro's lips twitched knowingly as he watched from his view in the stands. "You've taken drastic measures again, Taiga," he said to himself, but the purple haired giant besides him heard.

Not only was Kagami quick to take off, his jump had exceptional timing. It pushed the Touou players further into their unease as the time ticked away and the score gap between them decreased to a mere two points.

Izuki then passed the ball to Kagami and everyone knew what his intention was. If Seirin is able to score again, they can end the second quarter in a tie as well. But Aomine wasn't going to let this one slip by him again; his navy eyes burned as he followed after the redhead's attempt to pull a formless shot.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Aomine shouted.

A tanned arm shot up towards the ball to stop it, but the ball headed straight towards the net. The force of the blow was strong enough to keep the ball's momentum, but it spun out of control and lost it's balance on the rim.

Seirin was still two points behind as the buzzer signaled the end of the first half—46 to 48. Still shaken by the move Kagami pulled, the players on Touou and Seirin slowly gathered to allow the workers to clean the court in preparation for the second half. Aomine stood alone as he stared at his index finger.

It was red from the ball scraping against it in the speed that it was launched. He'd imagine that if he hadn't been able to touch it, Kagami probably would've made the shot.

_...Heh._

"Aomine, where are you going?" Wakamatsu called when the tanned miracle started to walk away from the team.

"Shut up. I'll be back in time for the second half."

"What?!" A vein nearly popped on the second-year's forehead and he was about to storm after Aomine when Imayoshi called him back.

"...I can't believe you tried that," Hyuuga still had the look of disbelief as his team got back together and headed towards the locker room. "You're out of control in a lot of ways!"

Kagami blinked and rubbed his head sheepishly. "I-I felt like I could do it, so... Oi!" he yelped and stopped abruptly when Tomoko slapped him across the back.

"Even though you didn't make it, you really stole the show!" she beamed up at him, unaffected by his murderous (and pained) glare. She turned to her left, "Don't cha think so, Te—ehhh?"

The team looked around at her confused whine.

"...Where's Kuroko?"

* * *

"He better be all right," Wakamatsu grumbled as his team made their way to the locker room. He didn't understand how the black haired captain could still be so calm when Aomine pulled something like this. It wasn't like the miracle _never_ came late to a game because he overslept or simply wasn't interested in playing anymore.

"Don't worry about him. Aomine was playing his best, but he hasn't shown all his cards yet. You'll understand once the second half starts," Imayoshi said calmly. "No one can beat him. Besides, it's probably the opposite."

"Eh?"

While the blonde sounded confused by what he meant, Momoi understood and cracked a small smile.

"You're right," she said softly. "He finally found an opponent whom he can play his hardest against..."

She's known him since they were children, after all, so naturally it was easy to decipher what the miracle was thinking when she caught the look on his face earlier.

"Aomine-kun is probably besides himself with joy."

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_thirty-three_

**no intention of losing**

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When Tomoko heard the bouncing of a basketball behind the gymnasium, she assumed that it was the blue haired shadow practicing outside. Pushing open the heavy door, she poked her head out and called for her friend.

"Tetsuy... Oh!"

Surprise was evident in her voice when she saw Aomine in mid-jump with a ball in hand. The tanned miracle, while equally surprised, made the dunk and glanced at her with his usual bored glare.

"Hi, Aomine-kun! Have you seen Tetsuya-kun around?" she asked casually, as if their teams weren't just in a high-tension match. Though, he didn't expect any less from her.

"How should I know? I ain't Tetsu's babysitter," he replied before going back to dribbling. He heard her laugh.

"What about you? Are you 'warming up' again?"

"Heh. Something like that."

Somehow, they always meet like this.

The door squeaked to a close and the only noise came from the ball hitting the cement ground. Aomine had expected Tomoko to leave after that, but he grew curious when she decided to plop herself down by the wall to watch just a few feet away from him. He tried not to pay attention to her as he continued to play.

"The reason Tetsuya-kun tries so hard is because of you, you know. Well, and the others—but you impacted him the most," she said out of the blue.

Aomine didn't respond at first as he picked up his speed to make a layup. The ball fell in swiftly and rolled towards the girl. "If Tetsu spent less time trying to change what can't be changed, then maybe he wouldn't be so caught up on it," he shrugged.

"But you want it to change, don't you?"

"...That's wistful thinking, O-chibi-kuma," he gave her a confident smirk and walked over to take back the ball. "Maybe you forgot that I can't be beat."

"Maybe _you_ forgot that Seirin's here to prove you wrong."

Picking up the ball, she stuck out her tongue as she swiped it away from Aomine's hands as he reached for it. He stared down at her with entertainment shining in his eyes, thinking amusingly that she, being _shorter_ than him, could possibly keep the ball out of his reach.

However, he was feeling generous and gave her an extra five seconds of holding onto the ball before he stalked closer to her with a predatory look. Tomoko widened her eyes and suddenly felt warm despite the cold air.

_Thump thump._

"Maybe you didn't think this through," he smirked while closing the distance between them. He felt a tremendous sense of satisfaction when she visibly shivered...

That is, until he realized that she didn't have a jacket on.

It wasn't even because of _him_ that she was quivering. It was the damned _wind_.

"Damn, are you not aware that it's practically winter now?" he let out a scoff and watched as pink blossomed across her face at his accusation.

"That's because I didn't think I was going to go outside—uhf!" Aomine didn't let her finish as he dropped his still-warm jacket onto her head, effectively covering her face and muffling her words. She quickly peeled the jacket away from her face with wide eyes.

"Wait, you'll catch a cold—"

"Take it," he grinned as he picked up the ball that was abandoned in midst of their interaction and threw it at the basket again. The slam of the ball echoed through the air. "Wouldn't want ya to pass out before you witness my victory."

"But _you're _the one that's gonna get sick, idiot!"

Aomine looked at her incredulously. "You're seriously calling _me_ the idiot?" He then surprised her by tossing the ball back, and she had to quickly juggle the orange ball with the jacket in her arms for a second before giving him a questioning glare. "I was gettin' hot in that anyway, but if you're that worried, come help me warm up. Just put it on since you won't be doing much."

It was as if she took offense in his comment because suddenly she was shoving her arms stubbornly into the sleeves of his jacket. "Please! Being Seirin's manager has taught me some skills," she declared.

"Oh yeah? Didn't the idiot tiger say that you couldn't shoot?"

It was always fun watching messing with her. Her emotions was always dancing across her face and her body language always followed suit; however, Aomine made the unfortunate mistake to look this time. Maybe _he_ was the one who didn't think his actions through...

Because Tomoko was much smaller than him, the long sleeves was bunched up around the ends of her arms and he could just catch a glimpse of her hands curled into balls, the action matching the childish pout she had on her face. The jacket seemed to simultaneously engulf and hug the girl's feminine frame perfectly.

Long story short: she looked _too_ goddamn good in his jacket.

"I'll have you know that I _can_ shoot," she said, snapping him out of his trance. "Midorima-kun taught me! He lives up to the title of being the _best_ shooter—"

"I'm better," he interjected almost immediately. The mention of the green haired miracle being better irked him and it visibly showed. "I'm better than all of them."

Tomoko paused at his expression before rolling her eyes. "Aomine-kun... You sound like you're five."

"_Ha_?!"

That was not a response he anticipated. Then again, when had Tomoko ever given him anything conventional?

He made it a point to lean closer to her with a fearful scowl on his face, but she merely reached over and pinched both sides of his cheeks. "I'm not intimidated by you, baby panther!" she laughed. Not one to be made fun of without retaliation, Aomine poked her nose and pushed it upwards.

"You sure you should be talking, piglet?"

They purposely made funny expressions as they continued to stare at each other's contorted faces. After a minute, they couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. Tomoko clutched her stomach while looking back up at Aomine, who, to her surprise, had a winsome smile stretched across his face.

_No wonder Tetsuya-kun wanted to see him smile again, _she thought. _I bet it looked delightful when he was playing basketball._

"Oi Kuma, if you're intention was to distract me, I'll hand this one to you," Aomine said after he came down from the hysterics. He was grinning. "But I'll still win."

"We'll see about that. We don't intend to lose," she replied with the same expression.

* * *

"Furihata-kun, what are you doing here?"

The brunette in question had the look of relief in his wide chocolate eyes once he saw Tomoko walking his way. He fastened his pace and met up with the girl. "I-I was sent by Riko-san to look for you because you didn't come back with Kagami and Kuroko."

"Oh no," Tomoko smacked the side of her head when she remembered that she was supposed to be looking for Kuroko. "We better get back before Riko-san blows a fuse then, huh?"

Furihata nodded in agreement and they turned to head back. It was then he noticed the particular jacket the girl donned. "Um, Okuma-chan..." he voiced out as he stared at the black article of clothing. "Were you outside? Isn't that..."

"Hm?" Tomoko turned slightly to face the boy when he started to mumble, giving him a better view of the front of the jacket. "Yeah! I was originally outside trying to find Tetsuya-kun, but then..." she trailed off for a second when they reached the locker room. It seemed like the team had left for the court already. "Hold on, Furihata-kun. I'm gonna grab something."

"O-Okay," he said quickly and she smiled before slipping into the room.

The hall was quiet as Furihata was left standing outside with a very confused expression on his soft features. He _could_ be wrong, but he was _so sure_ that that jacket belonged to someone on the Touou team.

* * *

As the teams marched out again after the 10 minute intermission, the arena came back to life with the bustling of cheers. It became especially loud when Aomine stepped out just moments after his team.

"Aomine-san's in a really good mood," Sakurai remarked when he glanced towards the miracle's way. The boy had a knack for differentiating between the variations of Aomine's grin-slash-glares, mostly for himself so he could determine the likelihood of him being picked on and _try_ to stay out of the way.

"What did you say?" Wakamatsu asked loudly. It was hard to hear the soft-spoken boy when the cheers were booming. However, Sakurai took his raise of voice as a sign that he was angry.

"I'm so sorry!"

The second-year reeled back in shock, "Why the hell are you apologizing?!"

"S-Sorry!"

Imayoshi sighed as his two teammates made a small scene in the middle of the court. The third quarter was about to start and there was no time to be fooling around especially since the ambience between Touou and Seirin had changed since intermission. Furthermore, seeing that Kuroko was starting right away raised some questions and he just knew that Seirin had something up their sleeves.

"Should he even he playing?" Wakamatsu, who finally got the apologetic brunette to stop apologizing, stood by Susa with narrowed eyes. "I'm impressed he's even on the court after being destroyed by Aomine, but what can he do?"

As the game started, Imayoshi had first possession of the ball and he stared down Izuki's angry expression. _Their defense is good. They've all improved their fundamental skills,_ he observed before tossing the ball to Aomine. _Not that it matters._

This was what Imayoshi meant when he'd told his team that their ace hasn't shown all his cards yet. If Seirin thought Aomine was fast before, the speed the miracle was going now could almost be considered incomprehensible for them and there was no way anyone would be able to catch up. However, just as Aomine neared the basket, Kuroko seemed to appear out of nowhere and caused him to push into the shadow.

"Charging! Black No. 5!"

_Did he predict his course?_ Imayoshi knew that even if Kuroko had gone to help after Aomine passed him, he would've been too late. It was the only logical explanation, and considering they used to be partners, it made sense.

_Well, not that it'll change anything, _he thought as the game went on. He already knew that Seirin was full of surprises, but it wasn't anything Touou couldn't handle. Their plays have improved since the last time with Kuroko's Ignite Passes mixed in with regular ones, and the other players were even able to catch those Ignite Passes that used to only be available for Kagami. But as impressive as it all was...

It was nothing special.

If that was what they had up their sleeves, he'd like to say that they _tried_. Imayoshi grinned and move in front of Kuroko. Thanks to Momoi, they have found a way to contain the shadow.

"He's marking Kuroko?!"

Everyone from Seirin was visibly shocked and he just loved to see the realization of the situation hitting their faces. Seirin wasn't the one in control, Touou was. Everything was going according to plan.

_"Face guard No. 11? If I could, I'd be doing that already. Even if I'm watching for him, before I know it, he's disappeared somewhere," Susa was skeptical of the pink haired manager's suggestion when she laid out the game plan in the locker room._

_"That 'before you know it' is exactly the point," Momoi said._

_"What?"_

_"He's not invisible throughout the entire game. Generally, he's just difficult to notice because of his weak presence. Because he is, you make sure you don't lose sight of him. However, that gaze is most easily misdirected. The harder you try to look at him, the deeper you fall into his trap. It makes you an easier target for his misdirection."_

_Susa sighed exasperatedly at that explanation, "Then how are we supposed to stop him?"_

_Imayoshi laughed, "Come on, now. She's practically told you already. The answer is simple..."_

"Did you know?" his voice was taunting as he looked down at the wide-eyed shadow. Even as he tried to move out of the way, he was easily blocked again. "Some things can only be seen from behind the mirror."

_"Don't try to look at him. The player that he makes eye contact with is a mirror that reflects him. In order to stay on Kuroko without losing track of him, we should look at the mirrors."_

Kuroko's misdirection becomes a simple trick of the eye once it was all broken down and exposed, but even just knowing how it worked wasn't enough to guarantee that they would be able to break through.

It wasn't easy for anyone to detect Kuroko's gaze when he's undetectable to start with, but Imayoshi Shoichi wasn't just _anyone_.

"Your senior is amazing," Yamazaki commented besides his own captain. The first strings from Kirisaki Daiichi had come to watch the game between Seirin and Touou partly because the uncrowned king wanted to see Seirin's defeat. The rest just wanted to see the match unfold. After it was revealed that the dark haired captain on Touou used to attend the same junior high as Hanamiya, Yamazaki had especially regarded Imayoshi with a different perspective. "Maybe he's actually smarter than you."

Hanamiya stuck his nose in the air with a sneer. "I don't know how smart he is. I just wouldn't want to play poker or anything like that with him. He reads his opponents thoughts by observing their expressions and actions. He's a monster when it comes to reading minds," he said, looking down on the court when Imayoshi intercepted the ball that was going to Kuroko.

"And when it comes to doing things people hate, no one can beat him," he added. It was all unraveling in the court; the troublesome shadow was being repeatedly shut down by the captain and the rest of Touou.

_His misdirection is no longer effective. He's useless now._

"Tetsuya-kun must have known that he wouldn't be able to last this long, yet..." Tomoko bit her bottom lip nervously as the score gap continued to pull away. Usually they'd take care to reserve Kuroko's trump card to last until the end of the game, especially if he'd used too much in the beginning. But right now, his misdirection was diminishing before their eyes. _Unless, he had another hidden ability?_

"I know what you're thinking, Okuma-chan, and you're right," the brunette coach said. She wasn't looking her way but Tomoko could see the confidence and trust displayed in her stance. "You weren't there when Kuroko-kun suggested this, but he wanted to start the third quarter and _make_ his misdirection run out. It's the only way to release the true form of his trump card."

"The true form...?"

Right on cue, Izuki went up against the Touou captain. In the second that Kuroko flashed by the corner of the captain's eyes, Izuki disappeared and reappeared behind the male and made the shot.

_The Vanishing Drive?_ Tomoko widened her salmon eyes at the display. _No, it was more like Kuroko's sudden presence had paused time for the rest as Izuki-senpai alone was fast-forwarded. _"He erased him!"

"Misdirection Overflow," Riko coined and smiled proudly when she saw that the smirk on Imayoshi's face was finally wiped off after Seirin threw a wrench in the game. It rattled Touou and it was evident in their follow up. "Because Kuroko-kun knew that once his misdirection runs out, all the players would be able to see him and focus on him. He misdirected our opponents' attention by utilizing Kagami-kun's overwhelming presence and placed it onto himself, and that gives the illusion that the other players can disappear as well."

"It's a technique that only works once he exhausted his misdirection..." Tomoko mouthed in wonder. Suddenly, her brows furrowed. "But by doing that, wouldn't Touou become immuned to his misdirection?"

"That's the risk we're running..."

Of course the older girl knew this when Kuroko suggested to use this against Touou, and it was exactly the reason why she was so hesitant at first to let him do it. No matter what the outcome of the game was going to be, the fact was that Kuroko will no longer have a trump card against Touou in the future. They were from the same district, so they were bound to play each other again. Riko smiled; she had to respect the boy's decision."Yet knowing this, he's still willing to push himself this far."

"It's better than losing here," Kuroko's breath was labored. Performing such an energy-consuming ability was slowly draining him, but he wasn't ready to give up yet. Seirin has tried so hard to get here and he knew that this was Teppei's last year to play because of his knee injury. There was only one option left for them. "Next time isn't good enough. Not next time... We'll win now!"

Teppei jumped to slap the ball away from Wakamatsu and it flew towards Izuki. Immediately, the point guard tossed it to Kagami and he made a run for it as Aomine caught up to him but in a flash, the redhead was behind the miracle and made the dunk.

Kuroko allowed the corners of his lips to turn upwards as he looked at his teammates. Even if he will no longer be able to use misdirection against Touou, this was worth it. "We'll worry about the future when we get there," he said to Aomine.

"Tetsu..."

"Give me a break. You're betting too much on this. Just far are you going to take it?" Imayoshi asked as the ball ended back into his possession. _If _we_ don't bet everything we have, we won't win this game,_ he thought as he glanced at the scoreboard—it was 62 to 70.

He needed to do this at the right moment; there was just seconds left of the third quarter and Seirin managed only be eight points behind and Izuki was determined to keep him at this spot. _4... 3... 2..._

He released the ball.

"He's shooting from there?!"

"It'll never make it!"

"Idiots," Hanamiya snorted when he saw the crowd held disbelieving faces as the ball soared across the court. They obviously knew nothing about the Touou captain; while he can't be compared to the Generation of Miracles, he was a great player in his own right. _Despicable_, too, and a little distance wasn't going to stop him. "He's the best at doing things people hate. Seirin wants to feel like they're catching up and end the quarter with a single digit difference, but Imayoshi..."

The ball landed into the net perfectly as the buzzer sounded.

_62 to 73._

"He's the one who gets things done in these situations."

* * *

_He's tired. He won't be able to keep using his Overflow much longer_, Tomoko frowned as the shadow tried to even out his breathing. Looking around, she could see that everyone was exhausted, but none of them showed any deterioration of their will. When her eyes landed on Teppei, he looked up and gave her an apologetic grunt.

"Sorry, but could you re-tape my legs?" he asked.

It was obvious that the center was in pain and Tomoko got down to work immediately with unrolling the tape. "Kiyoshi-san?" she looked up at him when she noticed his fists shaking.

"I have to last until the end..." _Even if my legs break, we have to win!_

"You're thinking too hard, idiot," Hyuuga said from beside him before squeezing out the rest of the water from his water bottle. "That's not a good habit. You should have more faith in us. This team is strong... _You_ made this team."

Teppei fell silent at the expressions etched on his teammates' faces. They weren't even close to be defeated by Touou yet. He relaxed thinking that Seirin will be alright after all.

_We'll last until the end._

"Win or lose, these are the last ten minutes. Let's win!" Hyuuga said. "We'll start by taking back the points Touou scored!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

On Touou's side, Harasawa had just finished with the instructions when the buzzer signaled for the end of their two minute break. Imayoshi and the rest stood and marched back out, leaving only Aomine at the bench.

"...Aomine-kun? Aomine-kun!"

The tanned miracle looked up at the pinked haired manager when he finally heard her voice. "What do you want?"

"Don't give me that!" she gave him an exasperated pout. "The game's starting and everyone left. Were you listening to the instructions?"

Aomine's eyes were void of all emotion, but it wasn't the same look of disinterest he had whenever he was forced to play a weak opponent. He stood and pulled the towel off his head. "Sorry, I wasn't listening," he said and went to catch up with the rest of the team.

The game started with Hyuuga scoring a three pointer and bringing the gap back to eight points, but Momoi barely noticed as her attention lingered on her childhood friend. His last words had sparked a certain familiarity that she thought was lost.

_"Sorry, I wasn't listening."_

_"Mou, Mine-chin," Murasakibara drawled exasperatedly, turning to frown at the tanned boy. He didn't want to listen to the instructions again, or worst, be the one to explain it._

_"Sometimes you're so focused you don't listen," Kuroko commented. On the miracle's other side, Midorima's eyes ticked with annoyance._

_"If you don't listen to the game plan, you're defeating the purpose!"_

_Aomine was rubbing his head sheepishly after he got caught not paying attention again. He was so focused on going back out there to face his opponents again that his mind filtered out all other noise around him. "I can't help myself against a strong opponent."_

_"Oi!"_

_"Don't worry," he flashed his teammates a grin. "We'll definitely win!"_

Aomine now stood in front of Kagami and he had the same expression on his face as he had then.

_It's slight, but it's definitely true..._ Amaranth eyes followed the miracle's movements across the court. Her eyes caught the surprised look on Kuroko's face and her thoughts were confirmed. _He's returned to his former self._

* * *

Seirin knew going into the fourth quarter wasn't going to be an easy one. Yet, even though they knew that, it was still hard for them to come to terms with it. "Damn it! The gap isn't getting smaller!" Furihata and Fukuda gritted from the sidelines.

"It's a lot of back and forth," Tomoko agreed. Seirin was consistently scoring points, but they still couldn't keep up with Touou's force. "We'll never win in a shootout against them."

"What are we supposed to do?!"

"We have to stop Aomine-kun," she replied. _But how?_

* * *

It was near the six minute mark when Kuroko, Kagami, and Teppei found the opportunity to surround Aomine when he got possession of the ball.

"Seirin's challenging him!" Takao exclaimed at the 3-on-1. Next to him, his green haired partner wasn't all that shocked that Seirin chose to use this method.

"Aomine is not just terrifying because of his speed or skill. The true nuisance is his overwhelming shooting power that allows him to make shots from any position. Even Kagami's acquisition of animal instincts hasn't allowed them to stop him. While Seirin's offensive power has increased, they will never close the gap in a shootout. If they don't stop Aomine, Seirin has no chance of winning."

* * *

At first glance, it seemed like a strategy that will work because passing was not an option for someone like Aomine. By blocking off all the paths the miracle can take, he didn't have a lot of options.

_But that's not nearly enough to stop Aomine-kun, _Tomoko realized,_ unless..._

Aomine had easily gone past both Kuroko and Kagami and was on his way towards the net where Teppei stood guard. Both of them jumped, and when it looked like the center's height and build gave him an advantage, Aomine twisted to his side and passed him. However, just when everyone thought Aomine had cleared the path, Kagami suddenly reappeared behind him.

"Don't tell me—"

"They let him pass on purpose!" Wakamatsu finished Sakurai's sentence with wide eyes. "They were after this the whole time... To block from Aomine's blindspot!"

Of course, nothing about the formless shooter was easy. He dodged just as quickly as the redhead had appeared and ducked under to shoot. However, the entire court froze when the ball hit the basket and _missed_.

"H-He missed?!" The first-years shouted with confusion, though they quickly rejoiced at the realization that the triple-team worked. "We must've gotten lucky somehow!"

Tomoko wasn't convinced by that the least bit. She turned to Kuroko at the same time Aomine did, and evident by the miracle's shocked glare, she had an idea that it was the shadow's doing.

"Did Kuroko make him miss?" Koganei asked in surprise. He had never seen Aomine this taken off guard before.

"...It's only speculation, but I believe it was Tetsuya-kun's Misdirection Overflow that caused it," she said, though there was a bit of uncertainty lacing her voice. It just couldn't have been pure, dumb luck that got them this far, and Aomine would never miss under normal circumstances.

"Can his ability really affect shots like that?"

"It can."

They turned to the their coach as she spoke up. "While his Overflow probably wouldn't have much effect on normal shots taken from the ground, aiming for the hoop while moving at high speed is a different story," she said. "It's like driving down the highway at top speed and then seeing a rabbit dash in front of you. The faster you're going, the more effective a moment of distraction will be."

"Aomine-kun is still exceptionally sharp, though... So the reason it worked so well was probably because Taiga-chan and Kiyoshi-san pushed him to the limit," Tomoko registered as a smile grew on her face. "It's amazing that they pulled it off."

"Heh. Pulling something like that..." Aomine lowered his eyes on the shadow. "You bastard."

"I can't stop you. However, I have no intention of letting Seirin lose," Kuroko answered with resolve, and to that Aomine grinned widely.

"You've really done it now, Tetsu."

Having Izuki score another two points, Seirin was now only six points behind. They didn't waste any time to pull back and surrounded Touou with a 1-2-1-1 Zone Press.

"Defense! Defense! Defense! Defense!"

The pressure on Touou was tremendous and it only magnified when Kuroko stole the ball before it reached Susa. He tossed it to Hyuuga who was standing just outside of the three-point circle. Sakurai realized that if he allowed the captain to make this one, Seirin would only be another three-pointer away before they're caught up and he couldn't let that happen. At a moment of rash decision, he tried to stop the ball but knocked into Hyuuga instead.

"Pushing! Black No. 9!"

It was a defensive foul on a three-pointer, which meant that...

He gave Seirin three free throws.

_How could I be so stupid!_ Sakurai wallowed. His dark eyes glazed over with regret. It was all because of him that his team had to work extra hard in getting those points back. Did he even deserve to be on the team? This was all his fault! How could he make such a mistake?

"Hey, Ryo."

Aomine's deep voice jolted him out of his thoughts and he shrunk even smaller in fear. "Uh-Uhm, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" he apologized furiously.

"Good timing. Switch to rebound after this."

_Huh...?_

Something was different about Aomine because Sakurai was sure that this wasn't the guy that he's come to know since the beginning of the year. Was it his imagination? Maybe he misheard something...

But Sakurai wasn't the only one who sensed a shift in the miracle's demeanor. Tomoko felt it, too, especially since the beginning of fourth quarter. Even the way he played was different from the times she's seen him in the past.

_"It feels pretty exciting not knowing if I'll win."_

Those were the words that Kise had told her that day during his match in the Interhigh. She remembered the way his golden orbs had lit up with such hope and enthusiasm at conquering the unknown, and she wondered if Aomine was experiencing this as well.

_This game is too close... Who will win?_

* * *

_When was the last time I felt like this?_

The first ball went in soundlessly.

Aomine evened out his breathing as he stayed behind from the line-up for Hyuuga's free shots. He tuned out all distractions as he concentrated on the black void within his mind.

_I just wanted an opponent I could face with everything I had. I've been longing for one. A game so close I'm not sure if I'll win or lose... _

The second ball went in soundlessly.

He fixed his navy eyes onto the team in front of him. The captain got ready to shoot for the last point. The buzzer sounded with the score of 83 to 86 and he wondered if this is what it felt like to to go against a strong opponent again.

_"We'll become the team that you'll enjoy playing with again!"_

A chuckle escaped from his lips when he remembered that promise.

"Thanks, Seirin."

When Imayoshi went to retrieve the ball, he felt a daunting aura behind him. He froze momentarily when he saw Aomine. If he was to say that Seirin was completely different with Kuroko, then the same would go for Touou with Aomine. The captain tossed the ball to the miracle.

Touou was a team built on the belief of individual skill, but more than anything, they believed in Aomine's strength. In a flash of light, he had passed Kagami and took back two points.

"No way!"

"What just happened?!"

Kagami didn't even know what had hit him; this has never happened before in any of his previous games. However, he knew this form that he was facing now would even have the rest of the Generation of Miracles feel threatened.

Aomine Daiki...

...Was in the _Zone_.

"This must be..." Tomoko's salmon eyes was wide with realization when she locked gazes with the miracle. "Aomine-kun's true form."

* * *

_Zone_

_It is the ultimate domain, open only to the chosen. However, Aomine's senses almost mockingly force the door open on its own._

* * *

**Please leave a review! TT-TT**


	34. It Takes One To Know One

IT'S BEEN A WHILE. Second semester really is dragging me under... Just took my second chem midterm last week and my grades nearly went straight to hell lol, but I have a short spring break now so I got an update out of the way! I still need to catch up on my schoolwork though... Signing up for 6 classes was probably not the best choice. But hey, you live and you learn.

Thank you to those who left lovely comments/reviews last chapter! I actually read/re-read them when I'm down because it never fails to make me happy... And boy did I need some cheer-up after my shitty chem test score came out... LOL.

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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85 to 92.

Seirin was forced to call a timeout at the four minute mark. The game had gone from bad to worst within seconds of Aomine reaching the Zone. Seirin needed more if they hoped to defeat Touou now.

_Even top-tier players only reach 80% of their potential during a game, but being in the Zone makes that 100% possible, _Riko thought with her arms crossed tightly, a sign that she was conflicted by the turn of events. _What's worst is that Aomine's 100% is a total unknown..._

"Senpai, I need a favor," Kagami turned to Hyuuga with a determined look on his face. "Let me go one-on-one with Aomine. Uh, Please."

Everyone looked at the redhead incredulously.

"Do you have some kind a plan?" Koganei asked.

"No," Kagami replied, his gaze focused. "But I'll do it. I have no intention of beating the Generation of Miracles alone now. If it'd help the team win, I'd happily be benched. But I have to face him alone."

Tomoko saw a small reaction from the blue haired shadow when Kagami finished what he was saying. With Kuroko's Overflow no longer being able to reduce the accuracy of Aomine's formless shots, it was becoming increasingly hard for anyone to get near and effectively block him. But maybe, if it was Kagami, they had a chance.

"Fine," Hyuuga slung an arm around the redhead. "You have two minutes. You're the ace, so do what you want."

"Captain..."

"In the meantime, we'll go at them with everything we have. It's all on you, Kagami!"

With a blow of the whistle, Seirin was back out.

"Okuma-chan, you're unusually quiet again," Koganei remarked when he took a seat next to the girl. They watched the scene unfold with the two aces battling it out on the court. "Are you thinking about how Kagami'll do against Aomine?"

"I have no doubt that he can do it," she replied softly and Koganei smiled with a knowing nod.

"You're gonna say it's 'cause you believe in him, right?"

Tomoko had a thoughtful look on her face when she turned back to the court. The cat-like teen wasn't wrong, but there was more. Playing against Aomine when he wasn't in the Zone was something that already requires Seirin to give it their best effort—Aomine in the Zone was out of the question. However, Kagami could go _beyond_ "best effort" if he had the team's full support. And that he has.

"It's because Taiga-chan's our ace, and an ace carrying his teammates' wishes cannot lose."

* * *

Hayama was tapping his fingers against the railing as he watched the show from one of the secluded sections of the balcony. "They're both aces, but it's _obvious_ who's better," he remarked offhandedly.

Mibuchi clucked his tongue. "Stop that annoying tapping," he reprimanded and then his gaze moved back to Seirin. "I rather admire their fighting spirit."

"That's not enough. They need muscle!" Nebuya asserted loudly, earning another glare from the tall vice-captain of Rakuzan.

"Sei-chan's really got to discipline you two when we get back," he sighed.

The three of them glanced over to where Akashi Seijuuro stood silently throughout the entire game. The captain liked to be alone when he was observing, hence the reason why they were spread on either sides of the balcony. It was hard to decipher what he was thinking sometimes, but they could tell that Akashi was pleased with the way the game had turned out.

_Now that Daiki has unleashed his true form, what will you and your light do, Tetsuya?_

* * *

"Are you trying to prove yourself as my equal? You can't do it," Aomine half-crouched in front of Kagami with the ball low towards the ground. Kagami was swaying along with the tanned miracle to determine the direction he was going to go. "I told you..."

In a flash, he was off again.

"Your light is too dim!"

_More... I need more!_ Kagami huffed as he ran to catch up. At this point, no one but himself can stop the miracle. Kuroko's Overflow was running out of effectiveness and the rest of his seniors were at their limits. He needed to do something if he wanted to win this.

"Defense! Defense! Defense!"

_Why am I so weak?_

It was just like the previous game when he couldn't touch a hair on Aomine.

_I don't want to lose anymore._

Time ticked away as Seirin managed to return some points that they lost, but it wasn't enough.

_I don't want it to end here._

All the faces of his teammates flashed across his mind. Their tired, disappointed, crying faces at the end of Interhigh.

_I'm sick of it..._

The way Riko and Tomoko wiped away their tears... The way Kuroko clinched his teeth at his failure... The way his seniors tried to console each other in the locker room as they held in their frustration...

The way _he_ felt when he couldn't do anything to help.

_I'm sick of seeing my friends cry!_

Time slowed as Aomine ran towards him. In the millisecond that the miracle stepped past, something snapped within Kagami. It was now or never, and he needed to do this _now_.

_SMACK!_

Deadly silence filled the arena as Aomine turned his head back at the redhead with pure astound. Not only did Kagami reacted to him in the Zone, Aomine was looking straight into those flashing red orbs that shockingly mirrored his own.

"I take back what I said, Kagami..." his own navy orbs flashed similarly as his insides bubbled with excitement. "You're the best!"

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_thirty-four_

**it takes one to know one**

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Block.

Steal.

Another block.

Another steal.

Neither side has made any progress in over a minute as the two aces battled it out in between their teammates. The others knew to not interfere, lest they wanted to disrupt the balance.

Tomoko watched in amazement. Her salmon eyes dashed from one side of the court to the other as it tried to keep up with the speed of the two aces. One was fastest and the other jumped the highest—it would be an unbelievable matchup if it hadn't happened right before her eyes.

What was more incredible, however, was the expression she's caught glimpses of on the miracle's face.

_He's always been like that, _Momoi, on the opposite side from Tomoko, looked on with an equally surprised stare. It was an expression that filled her with nostalgia. _Since he started playing street ball, the stronger his opponent, the more excitement and focus he played with. _

_It looks like he's having fun, _they both thought simultaneously.

The sparks that the two aces sent was enough to captivate the entire stadium. There was no doubt about it; this was one of the most epic battles ever performed in this gym. If it could continue endlessly, the audiences would have no qualms to watch forever.

However, the conclusion was sudden.

With a burst of raw determination and speed, Kagami broke past Aomine. Susa and Wakamatsu was guarding the basket, but those two alone wasn't enough to stop Kagami and he easily made the basket.

The score became 95 to 98 with just 41 seconds left to the game.

"We're only three points behind now!" Kawahara shouted.

_There's no way. It's impossible..._ Imayoshi was in disbelief as the rest of the players on Seirin went to applaud the redhead._ Is Kagami _faster_? _Touou restarted and Aomine took off the the ball, but Kagami was right behind him and caught up within a second. _What's going on? No, there's no way Kagami's faster! It must be_—

"—a Zone limit?"

"There's no doubt that Aomine is normally faster than Kagami; it would be the same way while they're in the Zone," Kasamatsu observed and explained to the rest of his team. "But while the Zone allows an athlete to exhibit 100% of his power, the recoil is significant. There's only a limited time a player can be in this state before it runs out."

"But why only Aomine?" Moriyama wondered. If someone was to compare the strengths of the two aces, Aomine would come out on top. It didn't make sense that the miracle would run out before Kagami did. "Is Kagami stronger?"

"While he probably isn't physically, he _is_ stronger than Aomine-cchi in another way," the blonde miracle responded for the captain. He was surprised at first, too, but always watching them play and hearing about the team from Tomoko had made him realize it faster than the others. "Kagami-cchi has exceeded his limit in the Zone, too, but he's able to keep fighting because he has support. It's evident when you look at Seirin."

His seniors glanced down at the sidelines where the coach, manager, and rest of the team were cheering the redhead on. Not only that, the other four on the court all had one emotion displayed within their eyes. It was the trust in Kagami as their ace.

"Kagami-cchi's fighting—" Kise's golden eyes flashed with hope as Kagami jumped after Aomine to stop his formless shot, "—with more than one man's strength!"

The slap of the ball echoed throughout the stadium and for the first time in his life, Kise saw the tanned miracle lose his balance and fall on his behind. Seirin quickly grabbed control of the spinning ball and scored another basket.

97 to 98, 29 seconds.

With Seirin only one point behind, the Touou coach had grown critical and went up to the scorekeepers to request a timeout so they can reform and carry out a new strategy.

Harasawa seemed to be staring at the state that Aomine was in before weighing his decision. The tanned miracle had slapped his teammate's hand away when he went to help him up. The moment he turned around, though, Harasawa said something to the scorekeepers and walked back.

"He's not calling a timeout?" It was a gamble to not let Touou re-strategize, and Kise didn't quite understand what the coach was thinking. "What changed his mind?"

"It was the look on Aomine's face," Kasamatsu furrowed his brows in thought. As a senior captain, he's experienced what it was like to be stuck in the position Touou or Seirin was in. He knew the adrenaline that ran through each player's body during a high-pressure moment like this would be greatly disrupted if a timeout was suddenly called. "There are times when you prioritize emotion over strategy."

And that was exactly what the Touou coach was thinking as Imayoshi gained control of the ball. Seirin's defense was exceptionally sharp and already surrounded his members, rendering Imayoshi with limited choices.

_We know they're strong..._ Imayoshi dribbled the ball close to his body. Both teams were pushed to their absolute limit. Even so, he understood that there was still something Seirin lacked. _But Aomine is still the strongest!_

As soon as the ball was tossed to the tanned miracle, he was cornered to the edge of the court by Kagami and Teppei. He had nowhere to go, but it was always the false illusion that Aomine could be stopped so easily that kept his title of being the best. He twisted his body well behind the basket and shot the ball over.

The audiences roared as the ball landed perfectly into the basket.

97 to 100, 15 seconds.

"A three point difference is too much for Seirin. They're running out of time," the skin around Kise's jaw tensed as the seconds ticked by. The Kaijo captain nodded grimly.

"They don't have the strength to tie the score with a three-pointer and go into overtime. They need two more shots. But with the time limit that they have..."

_If things end like this, nothing will have changed._

Touou would win and Aomine would only fall deeper into his void.

_I don't want to see that happen. _

Kise clenched his fist and leaned forward, "Win, _Seirin_!"

* * *

10 seconds.

"There's no time!"

"Do something..." Koganei was praying at this point. The ball had been passed around and into Hyuuga's hands, but Kuroko's Overflow had run out and his barrier jump was no longer effective against Sakurai. "Please do _something_!"

"Senpai!"

Everyone, including Hyuuga, snapped their eyes towards the loud cry. Kagami was open with his hands out in front of him ready to catch the ball at any moment. His eyes showed urgency as Aomine was right on his trail.

"Kagami!" Hyuuga tossed the ball to the ace and he was off towards the basket. "Make the shot, Kagami!"

Aomine's arm shot up.

_Crap! He's going to stop the dunk. If I don't do something... _

He had to determine his next action in the next second or the ball will be stopped. His teammates, the cheers, the yells—everything was going so slow as his mind darted around for a possible solution.

Aomine's hand was already pushing the ball.

He can't make the dunk at this point.

He can't fight him in the air...

_"That is only half the answer."_

_"So Taiga-chan is like a bird of prey looming in the air—"_

_"Stopping you is easy because..."_

_"—The shadow of its talons is the first and last warning before it crushes the prey!"_

_"I _know_ you will dunk."_

...Because he nearly forgot an important factor.

"Kagami-kun!"

Kuroko's shout made his red eyes snap open. Switching gears, he rotated his wrist and tossed the ball towards Teppei.

* * *

"_Go_!" Seirin's sidelines roared.

_He finally conquered his assignment from the summer at the very last second! He may have been in the Zone, but I can't believe he made the assist happen at the eleventh hour, _Riko let out a shaky breath as Teppei then faked out Wakamatsu and charged forward for the dunk. Her eyes widened the same way the rest of Touou's did. _Teppei—?! _

The referee's whistle blew.

"Defense! Pushing!" The ball rolled into the net as Teppei fell. "Black No. 6! Basket counts—one throw!"

* * *

_I can't believe he passed with that timing,_ Aomine breathed hard as he smirked at Kagami. Not only that, he and the center has managed to push Touou to the brink with that decisive foul.

_This_ was the game he's been longing for.

* * *

Takao widened his eyes at the score.

99 to 100.

"If they make this, they'll be tied. They will have to go into overtime."

"That path will only lead to their demise," Midorima replied with a hard look. "Seirin needs to make a comeback here to win. To do that, they have to miss the free throw. However, because it's the only way, Touou is banking on this course of action as well. The final answer lies in the rebound, and..."

With the center shooting, Hyuuga and Kagami will be the ones rebounding. It wasn't going to be easy; Seirin was at their limit. If they can't steal the ball back, it was over for them. Yet they have no choice but to risk everything because going into overtime would determine their defeat. On Touou's side, they had stamina and benched players to spare. On Seirin's side...

"...Their best bet is Kagami," Midorima said as the center released the ball.

* * *

The ball soared through the air and as soon as it hit the inner rim, the players on both teams jumped.

One second ticked away.

"Rebound!" Tomoko encouraged along with her teammates. They cheered when the redhead touched the ball first, but it was short-lived as it became another aerial battle between the aces.

Another second ticked away as the ball was slapped out of Kagami's hand.

It took a second for both teams to react and even longer for Seirin to go after it, thus giving Imayoshi an opening to be the first one to chase after the ball.

"He's wide open!" Furihata gripped his head in despair. "He's going to get the ball!"

"No, he won't..." Tomoko's body had been shaking when the ball bounced speedily across the court, but once she saw a flash of blue, she knew it wasn't over for Seirin just yet. _If_ the Touou captain was wide open, then he would be able to take the basket from there and end the game. However, he _wasn't_. "Because in an aerial battle, what you see is its shadow!"

It was as if Kuroko had suddenly appeared in front of the Touou captain_—_but the truth was, the shadow had been in front of him the moment Kagami jumped for the ball. To Imayoshi, it seemed like he had believed that Aomine, not Kagami, would get the rebound.

But, that wasn't the case.

"I believed in both," Kuroko spun around and pulled his hand back in a familiar stance to receive with the spinning ball. "However, there's only one person I believe will make the final shot!"

"GO, KAGAMI!" the entire team shouted.

As the ball propelled forward, both aces jumped up at the exact same time. It connected with Kagami's hand first, and with a final cry, he dunked it over Aomine's head.

101 to 100.

The time ticked to 0.

The referee's whistle blew.

Seirin...

Won.

Kagami raised his fist in the air and the stadium erupted in applause. Whether it was Hyuuga and the other second-years or Riko and the rest of the team who supported from the sidelines, they were all overjoyed.

"Taiga-chan~!"

In midst of the celebrating team, Tomoko _and_ Kuroko flung themselves onto the redhead and caused him to nearly topple over. Well, Kuroko was just going for a pat on the back, but in this emotional moment, he went with the flow and followed suit with the tearful manager.

"O-Oi!" Kagami yowled under the weight of the the two. "C-Can't breathe!"

Aomine stood still at the spot where he landed after the last dunk was made. He never thought the day would come that he would feel like this. More accurately, he never thought about any of that because there was never a need. He was supposed to be unbeatable.

_"I'm sure you'll meet someone more amazing than yourself soon."_

"I see. I lost..." he blinked slowly as he looked up to the stadium lights. It was blinding, yet he didn't mind how his tired eyes pricked. _Heh, it really feels like shit,_ he glanced at the exhausted shadow who was laughing and smiling along with his equally exhausted teammates. _Was this how Tetsu felt at Interhigh?_

The referee blew his whistle again. "Line up!"

Following behind his team, he moved towards Seirin as they did the same. Aomine walked over to Kuroko, but just before the shadow could take another step, his sapphire eyes fluttered shut and he swayed to the side. The miracle stepped over to grab the shadow's arm just as Kagami went to grab the other one. Surprised and abashed, he let go almost immediately and watched the redhead swing Kuroko's arm over his shoulder.

_Sheesh... You can barely stand with support, Tetsu. No one can tell who won now..._ His navy eyes looked downcasted. _But maybe that was for the best. The reason I lost was that difference._

"Why are you acting like it's all over?"

Kagami's voice broke him out of his thoughts and he looked back up with a bewildered glare. "Things are just getting started," the redhead avowed. "Let's play again. I'll take you on."

Aomine's eyes went wide for several seconds before a huff left his mouth. He was smirking when he stared back with a determined expression. "Shut up, idiot."

"Aomine-kun," Kuroko lifted his head, and then his left arm. "Can I ask you for a favor? You still haven't returned my fist bump."

_Fist bump...?_ The miracle hardly remembered when that was since they always did it back in Teiko until—he took a step back with incredulity as he suddenly remembered. "What?! Who care about that?" he grumbled afterwards.

"No," Kuroko was pouting. "Try putting yourself in the shoes of the ignored."

_I guess I did leave you hanging for quite a while, huh?_

"...Fine," Aomine sighed and stuck out his fist in front of the boy. He then gave him a small grin. "This is the last time, though. Next time, I'll win."

"Okay."

The old partners tapped their fists together, the familiar sound penetrated through the invisible wall between them and shattered it once and for all.

* * *

"Huh? We're not ready to go yet?"

Furihata and the other first-years had headed out of the locker room first to let Hyuuga and the rest change. They grew confused when only Riko stepped out of the room.

"I want to leave, too, but..." Riko propped her one arm on her hip and gave the rest of the team a sheepish smile. The game had really tired Hyuuga and the others out; it was understandable considering that they were up against a powerhouse like Touou and _won_. The five of them deserved a short rest, at least. "Let's leave them be for a while longer."

While they were confused as to what the coach was thinking, they didn't question it. "It's okay. We also have to wait for Okuma-chan, anyway," Fukuda replied. "She said she needed to return something."

Riko let out a small, knowing sigh at learning about yet another one of their manager's frequent disappearances. "Did we borrow something from the gym?" she asked, her brows pulling together as she wondered what needed to be returned. The boys shrugged.

Furihata then realized something after everyone fell silent. The incident that happened earlier resurfaced from the back of his mind and his face scrunched curiously. "Do you know something, Furihata-kun?" It took a while for him to notice that the rest of the team had turned to him, and when he did, it made him feel slightly awkward under their curious stares.

"I'm not sure," Furihata blinked rapidly as he scratched the side of his head. He was referring to the article of clothing Tomoko had casually put away before the second half started. "Maybe it was the jacket?"

"...Jacket?" they echoed confusingly.

* * *

Tomoko closed the door of the empty locker room and pouted. It looked like she just missed the Touou team leave. Packing up with Seirin took longer than usual because everyone was still too excited about winning and continued to celebrate after the game. When they all came down from their high, she finally remembered that Aomine still needed his jacket back—she already missed the chance earlier since the miracle went back to his team before she did and had completely forgotten about it.

The temperature at night was a lot colder than the day since winter was right around the corner... It wouldn't be pleasant to walk back in a t-shirt.

"Hime~!"

She turned at the voice; Hayama took a few quick strides and popped in front of her with his usual snaggle-toothed grin.

"Ko-tan!" she greeted brightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you before I go back to the hotel," he said as an arm found its way around her shoulders, a habit he'd acquired years ago whenever they were by each other. "I missed you! When mom finally found your contact information and I tried to reach you, apparently you already moved. So you live in Tokyo now, huh? That's so far from Kyoto," he complained. "We need a reunion before I leave."

"Yeah, mom and dad will be so happy to see you again~! I still can't believe you're in Rakuzan," Tomoko replied incredulously, a proud smile reaching her lips. "I don't see you for three years and suddenly you're attending one of the top academic high schools!"

Hayama pumped up his chest, "What can I say? I have the looks _and_ the brains! Isn't that the reason why you fell for me?" he boasted and felt himself fill with nostalgia when he heard the girl let out the familiar hearty giggle. "By the way, that was some move your teammates pulled at the end. I wonder if they're gonna be strong enough to play Rakuzan~"

"Never underestimate the power of the underdog," the girl said adamantly with stars in her eyes. Hayama brightened up and his grin widened.

"That makes me excited!" he replied just as he felt a buzzing notification in his pant pocket. He briefly broke his gaze with her as he reached down to retrieve his phone. "If Seirin plays against us, I wanna know how long it'll take me to destroy the red haired dude and his shadow."

Tomoko blinked at the blonde's choice of words before a resolved look settled on her face. "Since Rakuzan is in the special bracket, we won't face you guys right away," she told him. "But I'll look forward to our game! I never knew you liked basketball."

"I joined after I moved! A classmate dragged me into it. It's fun, though," he said good-naturedly. He leaned against her as his forest green eyes then landed to the oversized black jacket in her arms. "Is that your jacket?"

"This? Ah, no..." she sighed out loud after looking at the forgotten article of clothing. "I was supposed to find Aomine-kun! Sorry Ko-tan, I should go." She pulled him into a hug before letting go.

"Aw, I wish I could go home with you~" Hayama pouted dramatically, though on the inside he was thinking about what his childhood friend's relationship was with the tanned miracle. "But Reo-nee will get our captain to kill me if I don't head back." He pushed his phone into the caramel haired girl's hand. "Let's stay in touch!"

Tomoko nodded happily and entered her information into the phone. "There!"

Upon seeing her name displayed under the title for the contact, he changed it to 'Hime ❤' and sent her a message to exchange numbers. "Put me as 'Kotarou the Great' or something cool like that!" he declared.

"Yeah, yeah. You're always my knight in shining armor," Tomoko laughed as she leaned on his shoulder. He grew taller since the last time she saw him.

"Obviously~!" he grinned proudly. "Transfer to Rakuzan! That way I can see you again and take care of you."

"Ah... You don't have to worry about me here because Seirin is wonderful and I love it. Plus I can't just transfer because Hayama Kotarou said so," she poked him in the nose teasingly. Hayama's expression softened at her happy smile.

"Hey, remember what I said to you at that waterpark when we were really young?"

"Hm?" she tilted her head with a blank look on her face. "About you being a NASCAR racer or about you building me a castle? Didn't you change your mind a year later, saying that you wanted to be a rock star and we'll live in your 100-story mansion? And then the year after that you said you wanted to be a food critic so you can give me 5-star reviews—"

"Himeeeee!" he interjected with a whine, knowing full well she was teasing him.

"But you're always changing your mind!" she laughed.

"Well, there _is_ one thing I haven't changed my mind at."

"And what is that?"

Hayama reached over and ruffled her caramel fringes, messing it up slightly. His eyes held a serious glint but his expression was carefree. "My promise to you, of course!"

_"I'll make sure Hime will be happy for the rest of her life!"_

* * *

"I found you."

Aomine was laying on his back, staring at the bright stars peeking through the Tokyo night sky. He raised his head slightly to see Momoi running towards him before diverting his eyes back.

"You're always wandering off by yourself. We're all leaving so let's go back," she huffed and then noticed that he was only clad in a t-shirt. "Mou, did you leave your jacket in the locker room? You'll get sick just laying around here. Why can't you..."

As she continued her nagging, Aomine toned out and went to think about something else. He admit it was a bit chilly outside, but he didn't mind. Tomoko was probably looking for him too... He just wanted some alone time to clear his mind.

"Satsuki, are you free tomorrow?" he asked.

"Eh?" Momoi stopped and blinked. "Well, yeah."

"Will you go shopping with me?"

"Sure, I don't mind... But where did that come from?"

Ever since what happened in middle school, the miracle had been drifting apart from her. There was always a barrier that seemed to be there whenever she was around him, and he never asked to hang out much anymore. He was acting odd now and it confused her.

"I want new basketball shoes," he replied and stretched casually. "I want to practice."

Momoi was visibly shocked by his answer, but she felt a strong wave of relief and joy wash over her.

_Tetsu-kun, no, _Seirin _did it... _

Her moment of silence was broken by a buzz from her phone. She looked back at her childhood friend and a big smile stretched across her features.

"Sure. Let's go, _Dai-chan_!"

* * *

_INBOX: _

_(2) new messages from __Kise Ryouta, __Momoi Satsuki_

* * *

**Please leave a review ^_^**


	35. The Calm Before the Storm

I finally got my computer to work properly! For those of you on FFN who didn't know (I only posted a note on wattpad), my computer went haywire during the middle of me finishing this chapter. Then it wouldn't start up for the longest time. I fixed it now so I'm hoping the problem won't arise again.

That aside, I've been MIA before that... Balancing college work and my social life took up my will to write, but I'm back baby! I just took a vacation to relax all May so now I'm ready to continue Spark :) That said, please enjoy this chapter!

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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"Sorry for the—"

"W-Woah..."

"It's huge!"

"Um, come on in," Kagami said meekly as he went to set down his gym bag on the polished wooden floor. The team trailed behind him in disbelief as they looked around the spacious apartment. Instead of going out to a restaurant to celebrate, Kagami had offered his apartment to the team to eat and rest a little before going back home since it was closer and cheaper.

"You said you lived by yourself?" Tomoko mused with wide eyes. She was already touring around the area while poking at various things. It felt slightly empty, but traces (the dumbbells, some magazines, semi-stacked shelves) around the room did signal that a human being lived here at least. "It's so tidy!"

"Well, I was suppose to live here with my dad," he replied. He didn't think his apartment was _that_ great, but since he had it to himself, he guessed it was an upgrade on its own.

"Kagami-kun, you're a despicable guy after all," Kuroko pouted at the redhead. "I'm not going to be your shadow anymore."

"Why would you say that?!"

Hyuuga and the others sighed and took this time to actually look around the apartment as well. They congregated to the living room and set their stuff down. "The decor is simple though, and it makes the space look even bigger. You really only think about eating, sleeping, and basketball," the captain remarked.

Teppei was one of the last ones in after taking off his shoes, and he immediately noticed that someone was missing in the group. "Huh? Where's Riko?" he asked Fukuda who was standing in front of him.

"She headed to the kitchen with our ingredients," the boy replied nonchalantly.

"_WHAT_?!" Hyuuga and the rest shrieked upon hearing about Riko taking on the kitchen again. He rushed up to poor Fukuda and shook him by his collar as the others panicked with terror. "Did you already forget what happened this summer?!"

"B-B-But I thought Okuma-chan is h-helping..."

They paused momentarily and glanced at the kitchen. They had decided on making a hot pot since it was fast and easy, but it was still scary when Riko was involved, no matter how much she claimed she's improved. All eyes went towards their manager; the girl was dutifully instructing the brunette on what to do with the vegetables as she went over the list of ingredients for the broth.

_Okuma-chan, you're our food goddess!_

But for some reason, Riko was taking over the food again.

"Are you sure? I can help," Tomoko replied, but the coach simply waved her off with a determined grin. "I'll go set up the pot then!" she smiled.

_W-Wait—! _the guys feebly watched as the two girls got to work on separate things and couldn't help but eye the food with fear and skepticism. Hyuuga and Kagami bolted up from their seats and rushed over. "We can get that! So Okuma you can—"

"Quit yapping!" Riko snapped suddenly and their mouths closed shut. Her expression was still serene so they didn't know how to take it. "Well? Go set up the table! The broth is ready."

They gulped and trudged over to help. Soon enough, Riko brought the steaming pot towards the living room. "It's my _special_ hot pot!"

"It's ready?!"

When the lid was taken off and the steam cleared up, the guys were surprised to find that everything looked _normal_.

"The vegetables are actually diced..." Koganei blinked. Not only that, the rest of the ingredients were properly sized to fit in the pot and the aroma from the broth smelled appetizing. "Wait, where am I right now?" he questioned.

Riko nearly broke the wooden chopsticks in her hands. "Geez! Can't you say it looks good or something?!"

"S-Sorry, we're just... _Soup_rised," Izuki apologized while adding a pun. The team groaned and he picked up his chopsticks; he kept in mind that Tomoko was there to help for the first few minutes, so that probably set the coach in the right direction. "Well, thanks for the..."

"Wait!" Hyuuga, on the other hand, was still warily of the deceivingly good looking pot. Though, he really shouldn't be the one talking as seeing that his friendly expression was just as deceiving when he turned to the blue haired shadow. "Kuroko-_kun_, you try a bite first."

"The way you're talking is really shady," Kuroko replied bluntly and Hyuuga twitched. Next to him, Tomoko pursed her lips and sighed before picking up her own chopsticks.

"You guys are taking too long! I'm hungry, so," she said and poked her chopsticks into the pot. "Thanks for... The food...?" she trailed off as she bewilderedly picked up a soggy-looking banana. It dripped with the steaming broth.

"Uh," Koganei blinked a few times at the fruit. Maybe he was seeing things? "Why is a _banana_ in there?"

Riko was unaffected and flashed the guys a doe-like expression. "It was in the plastic bag," she said like it was the most logical thing in the world. As Riko and Hyuuga argued, Tomoko poked at the soggy banana in her bowl; even she was a bit disturbed by how the coach could mistake their dessert bag with their main ingredients bag...

"Is it edible?" she whispered to Kuroko and the boy scrunched his brows slightly in contemplation.

"The skin is still on," he whispered back.

"Only one way to find out," she said with a resolved expression and broke the soggy fruit into two pieces. Kuroko didn't like that look at all. "Which half will you like to try?"

Across from them, Riko didn't look the least bit apologetic about adding bananas into the broth. Bananas are good for the body, so why not? At Hyuuga's incredulous expression, though, she recoiled back cutely and stuck out her tongue.

"Oopsies. Sorry~" she knocked the side of her head softly.

"When did you start acting like that?!"

"Well, at least the rest looks normal. You can just eat around the bananas," Teppei said, trying to be optimistic as he picked up a soggy strawberry. Again, a round of questioning ensued and Riko answered with her matter-of-fact remark about the fruit being in the bag.

Now that they think about it, they should've expected the coach to dump the entire content of the dessert bag into the hot pot, not just one. That means there's likely some cherries and kiwis floating around as well.

"O-Our dessert..."

"We ended up not being able to eat both..."

"Actually," Tomoko suddenly spoke up. She was nibbling on half of the banana as Kuroko did the same besides her. Her salmon eyes lit up. "It's not bad!"

"What?!" the rest exclaimed. Following the two's example, Teppei also took a bite of his strawberry and Koganei picked up a grape. "You guys are actually eating it?!"

"The fruitness kinda works," the cat-like teen replied.

"E-Eh? Really?" Hyuuga tried a strawberry himself and was greatly surprised. The broth infused fruit was slightly tangy, but the warmness and flavor from the rest of the ingredients actually worked together. He looked up at Riko and she grinned proudly.

The rest finally dug in, and every time their chopsticks went down into the pot, they were surprised with a new mystery fruit. It was beyond weird, but at least it didn't taste bad.

"I got a cherry... Oi, the stem is still on this!"

"Is this a whole peach?!"

"What a _pit_ surprise, huh?"

* * *

Kagami stepped out into his balcony to get some fresh air as the rest of the team were finishing up with the hot pot. The game today was still fresh on his mind; he may have beat Aomine today, but like Hyuuga said, there was no time to stop and celebrate. They had another game in a day and soon after that Seirin will face more Generation of Miracles.

"Hello."

He turned at the sudden greeting and nearly lost his balance when Kuroko looked back at him. "H-How long have you been here?!"

"A while," Kuroko replied. Apparently, the boy had slipped out before he did.

"Damn it. I haven't felt that in a while..." he grumbled.

"Kagami-kun. Thank you for today."

The redhead stared blankly at the sudden gratitude. Why was the shadow thanking him again? "Ha? Where did that come from?"

"I don't know," Kuroko admitted as he looked out into the distance. It was peaceful out here, a contrast from his boisterous team inside. He didn't mind it either way, though. "The thought just came into my head. I'm really glad I met you, Kagami-kun," he said.

The sliding glass door suddenly opened and Tomoko's head poked out. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"We were having a moment," Kuroko said with a straight face.

"Ohhhhhh," she mused. "Should I leave you two then? I'll tell the others to keep out—er, in."

Kagami's face contorted incredulously and he pulled the girl outside. "Sheesh, it's nothing like that! Kuroko's always saying such embarrassing things," he said with a small flush across his cheeks. "You guys are too carefree. Winter Cup is just starting, but we've already shown everyone almost all our cards. Our future battles will only be more difficult. Aren't you guys at least a _little_ bit concerned?"

"No," Kuroko replied with his usual blank face, "We'll work to become stronger."

"And it's not like we ever back away from a challenge," Tomoko stepped between the two, her hands behind her back. She looked up at him cheerfully, "Like you said, the Winter Cup is just beginning."

Kagami stared at the two before letting out a small chuckle. He should've guessed that this was going to be their replies. Looking at it from a different perspective, having both of them being carefree wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"I hate that you guys are always right—" Before he could finish his sentence, however, he felt Tomoko slump against him and soon Kuroko followed suit. "O-Oi, what's wrong?!" he cried in surprise.

They both knocked out in his arms.

* * *

Thunder rumbled.

Kagami turned towards his apartment in hopes of getting the others to come and take a look at the two who suddenly came down with something, but to his horror, his entire team was down on the ground. Sheer panic ran through his body.

_What the hell is this?! It's like they've fallen victim to a slow-acting poison. Was it Riko's cooking? Was that possible?! _

"Taiga-chan..." Tomoko groaned softly. "We should check on the rest..."

Kagami nodded, opening the door to guide her in and pull Kuroko inside as well. If it was the foulness of the hot pot, then what was in it that delayed the effect? Suddenly, he felt a wave of nausea hit him as well. He stumbled forward and caught a glimpse of the opened cans of protein powder on the counter.

_Is she serious?! She put supplements in there...?_

He set Kuroko on the ground and found himself gripping the edge of the table for support. Upon closer inspection of his teammates, none of them were completely unconscious, but they were all pretty nauseated.

Tomoko, who still had some strength left, made sure the door was opened wide to let the chill from outside clear up the stuffy room. As the rain outside started to pour, everyone started to stir sluggishly and they started to feel slightly better as their nausea slowly cleared.

"...Is everyone okay?" she called out slowly after they all laid there silently for ten minutes or so.

"W-Were we poisoned?" Furihata rasped.

"I thought I was going to die," Izuki pulled himself and Hyuuga up. He rubbed his head; whatever made them dizzy wore off quiet quickly, but it only further confirmed to them that Riko's cooking was not safe for human consumption.

The culprit of their fainting spell was currently brooding gloomily in the corner of the apartment. It was embarrassing to say the least; even _she_ fainted from her food. So she's decided to stay like this and not look at her team in the face until the rain stops.

"At least it wasn't anything serious," Tomoko tried to console the coach. Walking over to the kitchen, she quickly disposed of the protein powders so none of them will fall victim to it in the future. She made a mental note to _always_ watch Riko when she cooked for the team. The older girl was really bad without directions to cook, but she had good intentions. Some things are just _not_ meant to be added together. "Taiga-chan, do you have any ginger root?"

"Uh, yeah. Side of the fridge," Kagami called.

The girl nodded and went to boil some water to make some ginger tea for the team as they waited out the rain. The rest went to clean up the mess and Teppei set a reassuring hand on top of Riko's shoulder, letting her know that they weren't holding the mishap against her.

"Hey Kagami, where's the bathroom?" Koganei piped after the team was done cleaning. The redhead pointed to the direction of the side hallway and motioned right, and the cat-like teen trodded over. He must have walked into the wrong room, though, because a moment later a shocked cry filled the apartment.

The team all turned towards the noise. "Koga?" Hyuuga watched as the teen hastily ran out of the opened room before crashing into the wall. The teen was blabbering and red in the face.

"Is that another side effect of the hot pot?" Tomoko asked innocently before a _very_ beautiful and _very_ busty blonde trudged out of the same room while pulling a tank top over her half-naked form. The mysterious woman yawned and spoke to them in English.

_"What's all this noise about? ...Taiga, you came back? I missed you so much!" _

When she spotted the redhead near the kitchen, her sleepy features brightened up and she latched herself onto the boy. Their lips met briefly, catching every by surprise at the American woman's forwardness.

The team erupted in a frenzy of blushes and uproar, having never expected the delicacy-lacking power forward to be so intimately involved with a beautiful older woman. Did this happen in the timespan that he went back to America?!

_Kagami, you sly dog!_

Kagami looked less than pleased to see the woman, however, and immediately wiped his mouth when the woman let go of him to glance at the rest of the team.

_"Hey, who the hell are you guys?" _Alex asked in her native tongue, scanning each and every one of Kagami's guests with curiosity. She noticed the guys were all wearing the same team jacket as Kagami and there was two cute girls in the mix, one standing next to a tall, friendly looking brunette and the other was in the kitchen. The water in the pot next to her was boiling but the girl was too distracted by—Alex presumed it was herself—to notice.

_"Alex! Why the hell did you do that all of a sudden?!"_ Kagami accused, and she raised her blonde brows.

_"What's the matter? It's nothing but a greeting~"_

At the name Kagami spewed out, Riko straightened up with a sort of realization. If she remembered correctly, _Alex_ was the name of the boy's master he went to train under in America. Riko had done some research on the woman and found that she was once a college state champion and played in the WNBA, but an illness ruined her eyesight and she was forced to retire early.

_"You guys must be Taiga's teammates,"_ Alex greeted happily, not at all minding that she was presenting herself in only a tank top and underwear. In fact, she looked rather comfortable. _"__Nice to meet you!"_

Tomoko wondered if it was a normal thing in America for people to be walking around in their underwears at home, especially since it was getting so cold out. She and the rest of the team could only blink at the bold blonde blankly before Kagami threw the woman's pants over in embarrassment.

_"Shut up and put your pants on!"_ he shouted.

_"Geez!" _she whined, _"Is that any way to treat your teacher?! You should be serving me tea, Taiga!"_

Tomoko clicked back to reality when the woman mentioned tea and turned back to her boiling pot of ginger root and hastily turned it off. Adding some lemon juice and a few dollops of honey into the mix-matched cups and glasses, she had Riko and Kuroko help bring them over to the rest of the team as they sat around the blonde American woman.

_"Wow, you're such a cute girl~"_ Alex cooed as Tomoko set the last cup down in front of her. She hung an arm around the unsuspecting manager's shoulder and leaned in to speak in perfect Japanese, "As a thank you, Kawaii-chan—"

"Okuma, get away!" Kagami dashed over, nearly stepping over Koganei in the process and pulled Tomoko twenty feet away from his basketball master before she could do _that_ again. "I've told you to stop doing that to everyone, Alex!"

"What are you talking about?!" Alex defended herself, indignant. "I only kiss girls and children!"

"I'm not askin' about your kissing policy!"

"Your master has the kissing bug?" Tomoko, recovering from her shock, realized with bewilderment. Was that also normal in America? Next to her, Kawahara blinked at her statement.

"Only girls and children... So does that mean Kagami is considered a child?"

"That's not the point!" Kagami growled as he took a seat across from his basketball master. Tomoko and Kuroko went to sit on either side of the male and stared at the blonde woman with curiosity.

"So, why did you come to Japan?" Kuroko finally asked.

"Woah, how long have you been here?!" Alex wondered how she didn't fully feel his presence before and was thus taken off guard when she looked up from her cup of tea. She then recognized the blue haired boy as the shadow of the team that Kagami's told her about; her disciple really wasn't lying when he told her that the boy was like a phantom. "Ah, wait, Taiga's told me about you. I see..." she relaxed again and stared longingly into her cup. "Well, I came to see my two apprentices play basketball."

"Two...?" Kawahara perked up, realizing who the other person could be. "Is it Kagami and that guy from Yosen at the street ball tournament? Did he learn to play basketball from you, too?"

Alex nodded, "We met at a street court and they asked to be my apprentice out of nowhere. I was skeptical of coaching the two at first, seeing as I was still acting out and bitter from my early retirement, but before I knew it, watching Taiga and Tatsuya play brought a smile back to my face. These two have grown so much; now I'm here in Japan to see the two face off each other!"

"...Actually, we don't know that they'll face each other yet," Hyuuga said hesitantly, not wanting to burst the nostalgia but it had to be put out there. "On top of that, we don't have a game tomorrow, so we're just watching."

"Ehhhhh!" she set down her cup with initial shock before she recovered and it morphed into an excited one. "Then, I'll go with you! Who's playing tomorrow?"

Izuki took a moment to think before his eyes narrowed along with the rest of the team's. "Onita High, the team who made it to the top four in the Interhigh last year, against..."

"Shutoku," Kagami finished with a hardened gaze.

"We'll be watching one of the Generation of Miracles tomorrow, huh?" Alex smirked, growing curious.

_Tomorrow will be the calm... Before an ass-kicking storm. _

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_thirty-five_

**the calm before the storm**

.

"Damn it..."

He was _supposed_ to feel relieved.

Since Touou lost their game against Seirin, there were no more mandatory practices he needed to go to for the time being. The seniors have retired and were spending their time on exams, and that left Aomine to his own devices; not even Momoi could nag him about coming to practice.

Yet the restlessness kept him up at night.

Having tasted defeat, he couldn't let it go that easily. He _wanted_ to practice so he wouldn't ever feel like he did when he lost to Kagami again.

Hence the reason he was currently in Tokyo's shopping district. He was waiting for Momoi to show up so he can get the first order of business—that being buying new basketball shoes to replace his older ones—out of the way since it has been so long since he's gotten new kicks.

He checked the time on his phone and saw that it was twenty minutes past 10. It irked him that Momoi would be late because _he_ was usually the number one offender of lateness—and he _already_ showed up 10 minutes later than the meeting time.

"Where the hell is that woman?!" he grumbled while stuffing a hand inside his jean pocket to keep warm. He had half a mind to send the pink haired girl an angry text when the device buzzed in his free hand.

...

From: Momoi Satsuki

To: Aomine Daiki

_Sorry Dai-chan! I won't be coming today... Don't worry though, I have someone coming to take my place as your shopping buddy hehe._

_P.S. Don't you DARE leave before she comes!_

_Have fun ^o^_

(10:22)

...

"What the _hell_?" Aomine blinked at his phone with a scowl. She was smart to send out the message late, because had she sent it before he got here, he would've simply ditched. But just who did Momoi ask to come in her stead?

The text said 'she', so he can conclude that Momoi didn't ask Sakurai or one of his seniors to come along. He doubted they would come, anyway. Sakurai might since he was too scared to reject a favor, but then he also doubted Momoi would ask the boy do it since she knew.

But whoever the person was, he didn't care and he didn't want to stay...

"Aomine-kun!"

He turned around at the familiar voice and widened his eyes with confusion when he saw a certain caramel haired manager run towards him with an obvious shortness of breath.

"I accidentally detoured... And... Got lost," she revealed once she stopped before him, the bag on her arm nearly whipping towards his face with the speed she was going. She had both hands on her knees for support and gave him a tired half-grin. Aomine looked at her with skepticism.

"How in the hell does someone 'accidentally' take a detour?" he asked, but then his expression contorted into a surprised scowl. "Wait, Satsuki ask _you_ to come?!"

Tomoko tilted her head, "I texted her last night about returning your jacket since I didn't have your number, and she said I could come find you guys here today. Here!" she replied good naturedly and pulled out the article of clothing from the bag. "So where's Momo-chan?"

"...You mean you don't know?" Aomine narrowed his navy eyes briefly as he started to figure out what was going on. Right on cue, the puzzled girl's phone beeped and he looked over her shoulder as she went to check the message.

...

From: Momoi Satsuki

To: Okuma Tomoko

_SOS \\(TT-TT)/ SOS_

_I came down with a cold last night so __I can't come and help Dai-chan with shopping today. Will you pretty please stay with him in my place?! I'll owe you one, Kuma-chan~!_

(10:27)

...

Aomine's eyes twitched at the message, seeing that it was an obvious lie. _Just what the hell is Satsuki thinking?_ Looking over at Tomoko, he saw her lips pull into a small, curious pout as she tried to make sense of the situation. When she looked back up at him, he coughed and quickly averted his eyes.

"Damn that woman, not showin' up like this..."

"I don't mind if you need a shopping buddy," Tomoko gave him a reassuring grin. "I have time this morning since my team is practicing and Riko-san already gave me the okay to be absent. What do you need to shop for?"

Slinging his black Touou jacket over his shoulder, he shrugged. "Basketball shoes."

It almost sounded odd coming from the miracle, and it took Tomoko a few seconds before realization hit her. If it was possible, Aomine swore he could see the girl's face actually _glow_ with joy. He's seen the same look on Momoi's face just last night when he told her the same thing; it made him feel embarrassed. "Aomine-kun! You've finally—" her words were cut off when he clamped a hand on top of her head. "Eh?"

"Shut up," he grumbled lowly without looking at her. He started walking.

"Fine~" a giggle left Tomoko's lips and she happily skipped up besides him. "But Tetsuya-kun will be so happy!"

_Yeah, Satsuki said the same damn thing,_ he thought before glancing across the street. "Oi, change of plans. All this waiting made me hungry. Let's go get food."

"Sure," Tomoko didn't hesitate to reply. "I know a really good cafe that's not far from here!"

Aomine looked at her teasingly. He wasn't much of a cafe person, especially since cafes had a connotation of being a place couples go to be all lovey-dovey. Humoring the girl, he leaned down, "You wanna go on that date with me that bad?" he whispered in her ear, causing her to squeak and push him away.

"T-That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Heh," he smirked lazily and hung an arm across the smaller girl's shoulder. "Chill, we're going to Maji Burger. If I ordered 50 sandwiches from that cafe I'll be in debt."

Tomoko blinked incredulously at his exaggeration, but then she realized that it made a lot of sense. "Sometimes I forget that you eat as much as Taiga-chan," she remarked and caused him to snort.

"Well, now that I think about it, we can always dine and dash."

"Aomine-kun!"

* * *

"Have you decided on what to order yet?"

Kise looked up at the beaming waitress from behind his dark shades and offered her a small, courteous smile. The small coffee shop was humming with small conversation from a few patrons; he knew that once the lunch rush hits at noon, the place was going to be packed. "We're not staying for long, but I'll have your best latte~" he said and handed the menu back to the girl. She blushed and nodded before turning to his 'companion'.

"What about you, miss?"

The black haired beauty snapped the menu close and handed it back as well. "Coconut water," she barely glanced at the other girl and focused her attention back at Kise and pouted cutely. "Kise-kun, I'm free all day so there's no need to be in a hurry."

Once the waitress left with the order, Kise leaned back in his chair and stared out the window without much interest. "I'm busy," he complained. "I only came because Megumi-cchi made me. We could've just talked this project out on the phone."

"But the director said it would be better to have in-person contact. Besides, we haven't seen each other in so long~!" she insisted and then her cheeks bloomed a pretty pink color. "I missed you..."

"Hmmm," Kise hummed, uninterested still. His mind had been fully occupied with thoughts of the Winter Cup. Kasamatsu had been drilling the team harder the past few days; the blonde himself was seriously contemplating pushing off this promotional video gig he was offered, but his manager took it in since the filming won't happen until after Winter Cup was over. Still, he didn't need all this added work right now.

Not to mention, his mind has also been swirling with conflicted thoughts since the opening ceremony when he met up with all of his former teammates and got acquainted with Tomoko's childhood friend...

"—ise-kun?"

Kise snapped back to the model in front of him. Yamanaka Saeko really was a pretty girl, but she was just a bit clingy towards him despite the fact that they've only met a handful of times, and most were just during passing between their projects. "Yeah?" he replied.

Saeko perked up, "Is there something on your mind?"

He shrugged off the question and flashed her a civil smile. Saeko was about to speak again when the waitress from before came by and set down their ordered drinks, cutting her off briefly. She noticed the prolonged action and obvious blush that the waitress donned when her eyes met Kise's and the black haired model cleared her throat so the girl could move along.

"E-Enjoy!" the waitress chirped before scurrying away.

"So... Let's go through what we need and get this over with," Kise said as he picked up his cup of coffee. His nose scrunched slightly behind the cup, not from the aromatic smell of the latte but from trying to recall his manager's exact words to him this morning while he was still half-asleep. "We just have to run through the project details today...?"

"And get to know each other better since we _are_ going to be working closely in the promotional video," Saeko added with a tinge of excitement. "Also," she beamed, "You can just call me Saeko! Don't you add '-cchi' after—"

"Kuma-cchi...?"

That caught the beautiful model off-guard. "W-What?" The name sounded very familiar, and if she recalled, she didn't like the sound of it the _first_ time. Quickly realizing that the blonde's attention was no longer on her, but out the window, she followed his excited gaze towards two people walking on the other side.

_It's her..._ Saeko squinted her eyes. Her hands rested on her lap in closed fists; she felt like she'd just been dumped all of the sudden. And what more, because of Okuma Tomoko, she never even had a _chance. _

"She's with _Aomine-cchi_... Why are they together...?" Kise grumbled to himself, but it was loud enough that Saeko heard.

"..." Saeko wasn't getting through to him at all; she just wanted to spend some time with the blonde but it wasn't going to happen if she can't get him to even pay attention to her. However, she wasn't going to let it ruin her morning with her crush. Yamanaka Saeko always gets what she wants.

Wasn't there a saying?

If you can't beat them... _Join_ them.

"You know, we can follow them," she leaned towards the blonde, her proposition catching him off-guard. Seeing that she finally made him look back at her, she continued with all the enthusiasm she could muster. "We have to act like a spy couple for the video, right? It can be sort of like a practice run... And something fun to do since you look like you can't wait to leave this coffee shop."

"..."

She grew slightly nervous under Kise's hard, golden gaze as he thought about it. Then, an eager smile grew across his chiseled face.

"Alright, partner. You got my attention now~"

Saeko blushed deeply at his words. It was a start.

* * *

_Bonk!_

The crumbled up wrapper landed perfectly into the trashcan—it was the tenth one. Aomine continued to munch on his teriyaki burgers as Tomoko played with the straw from her sweet tea and clicked through her phone. The amazed looks that other patrons in Maji Burger had at the male's large appetite didn't faze either of them.

"Oi, you've been staring at the screen for 10 minutes now," the tanned miracle flashed Tomoko a haughty smirk and stole the device out of her hands. "What could be more interesting than me?"

She laughed and reached for her phone but the male held it away from her with triumph. She stuck out her tongue, "Ahomine."

"You've been talking to Satsuki _way_ too much," Aomine let out a burp as he finished the rest of his burger and coke. Suddenly, the device in his hand started to buzz. "...Tetsu's callin' you," he said, his nose scrunching at the caller ID picture of the blue haired shadow in some sort of a mid-speech smile. Instead of handing it back to Tomoko, he answered it. "Yo, Tetsu."

_"...Aomine-kun? I wasn't going to call you until tonight."_

The miracle raised his navy brows in confusion. He did not expect that response from the shadow. "Ha—?"

_"Anyway, why do you have Tomoko-san's phone?"_

Before he could give Kuroko a bewildered answer to that, Tomoko successfully snatched her phone back. "What's up, Tetsuya-kun!"

_"Hi Tomoko-san. Is Aomine-kun bothering you?" _

The girl giggled, much to her companion's chagrin, and shook her head, "No, I'm filling in for Momo-chan because she's sick!" There was a short pause on the other end as Kuroko tried, but failed, to understand what exactly she meant. However, he chose to get on with his purpose on hand and ask questions later.

_"The team wanted to make sure that you remember we are going to watch the game against Shutoku with Alex this afternoon."_

"Oh shoot, I nearly forgot about that!" she widened her salmon eyes in alarm.

_"That's why I called—"_ Another voice was muffled in the background but she immediately knew it was the redhead's. _"Ha! See, I told you she'd forget!"_

"Hey, no fair! You always forget things too, Taiga-chan."

"Oi," Aomine interrupted after getting annoyed that he was being left out. The mention of the redhead also got him fired up as well. He reached over and grabbed the phone again (Tomoko pouted, _"Aomine-kun!"_) "Quit yappin' ya idiot tiger. "

_"Ha?! __What are you doing with Okuma's phone you cocky bastard?!"_

"That's none of your business," he baited.

_"I'ma come down and beat you again! Tell me where you are and stay—"_

He pulled the phone away from his ear and diverted his attention back to the girl, who was blinking incredulously at the shouting squeaks the cell projecting as he let it hang from between his index finger and thumb.

"Heh, he really never shuts up."

"You two should be nicer to each other," Tomoko reprimanded lightly. "Anyway, I forgot that I was going to watch Midorima-kun's match this afternoon. Let me ask Tetsuya-kun when he wants me back by—hey, where are you going?"

The tanned miracle had stood with his empty tray and headed for the exit casually with her phone still in hand. He craned his head back, "We're going to get me a pair of shoes, duh. I'll tell Tetsu you'll be late."

"But..." she let out a small sigh and stood to follow the male. If she didn't hurry, she was going to lose him in the crowd outside. "Wait up, Ao—woah!" Reaching over to steady the nearly-tipping soda cup caused by her bumping into a table near the exit, she quickly apologized and made her way out the door. Being so hasty, she didn't get a glance at whoever was sitting there, nor could she realize that they got up after she left.

* * *

"That _&amp;*%#-_! When I see him I'll dunk him in a basket!"

Riko exhaled deeply and rubbed her forehead in annoyance. She tried to tone the redhead out and focused her attention on Kuroko. "So? What happened?"

"Tomoko-san might make it to the match late," Kuroko relayed the message. He was still staring blankly at the 'CALL ENDED' screen display. "She's with Aomine-kun."

"Aomine?" Riko blinked before rolling her eyes in realization. "That's why Bakagami got his panties in a twist. Idiot!"

"Come to think of it, Kagami kinda acts like Okuma-chan's brother," Koganei quipped besides them. He tried spinning the basketball in his hand with a finger but it flew and smacked him in the head. "...And Okuma-chan _is_ always around the miracles her brother warned us to keep her away from."

"He's still an idiot to be this worked up about what Aomine said," Hyuuga replied. _Though those miracles really can make one mad..._

"Well, yeah."

"Good thing Kuroko's level-headedness can usually keep him in check."

The captain and the cat-like teen turned their heads at the blue haired shadow to exemplify the statement, but one look at the boy caused both of them to swallow their words and stuck between laughing or consoling the boy.

Kuroko was always calm and level-headed, sure, but it was painfully obvious to them that he was jealous. They could almost see the deadly intent spiralling out from his mind.

"Kagami-kun, as your shadow, I've decided that I'll help you dunk Aomine-kun in a basket."

Hyuuga and Koganei burst out laughing.

* * *

When Tomoko caught up to the tanned male, he was leaning on the side of a building flipping open and closing her phone. "Took ya long enough," he said, tossing the device gently to her so she could catch it. "I added my number in there since you were complaining that you didn't have it," he winked and started walking.

Tomoko gave him a weird look, clearly not remembering she did such a thing. Aomine on the other hand, suddenly diverted his gaze to something behind them, paused for a second, then shrugged and walked closer to her with a yawn.

"Come on Chibi, we don't got all day."

"Yeah, yeah, Daikon," she retorted playfully. Looking around, she saw that Aomine had already passed by two shoe stores without a second glance. "Where do you buy your shoes, anyway? We could've checked out those stores back there."

"Nah, they don't carry my size," he said offhandedly, and Tomoko looked down at his feet. Indeed, they were bigger than the average Japanese male's foot. Feeling an arm sling across her shoulders, she looked up to stare at the miracle dead in his glinting eyes. "You know what they say about _big feet_, right?"

If it were Momoi, she would have hit him upside the head for being so coy and perverted. But since Tomoko was too dense in that department, she answered with absolute certainty.

"Duh, _big shoes._"

That probably would shock the pervertedness straight out of _any_ male, nonetheless Aomine.

"..."

"..."

"What, was it suppose to be a trick question?"

"I'm starting to think you're trickin' _me_," he replied with a raised brow.

Tomoko looked somewhat confused at his response, but merely shrugged and went on. Aomine, while making a mental note to stop saying things that would only come back and shock himself, suddenly got the same feeling he felt earlier and looked back again.

_...Was that my imagination?_ he thought, peering around with his sharp navy gaze.

* * *

_"Yeah, Dai-chan's a bit of a pervert, but all guys have some pervertedness in them. Except my Tetsu-kun, of course!"_

_-Momoi Satsuki_

* * *

**Please show some love ~ leave a review!**


	36. Tough Luck

I need to post this before I do something stupid and get the content deleted AGAIN :/ Word of advice (mainly to myself): don't ever leave the FFN doc tab open on an iPad after writing and then go on a computer later to write some more. Chances are, you are gonna go on the iPad again, and pulling up the doc tab there will cause the page to RELOAD... and BAM, it will reload/restore the doc to what it was before the addition from the computer (which had 1k+ more words btw, I had to rewrite it T-T)

You live and you learn... Ur author is an idiot lol.

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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On the other side of the duo, two familiar models trailed a distance away. Kise had picked up a baseball cap from a store to better conceal himself, both for the fans and his targets. Similarly, his spy partner donned sunglasses and a heavy scarf to cover her lower face. Since it was near winter, their getup didn't stick out like a sore thumb, but their sketchy behavior did cause a few heads to turn.

"Aomine-cchi didn't see us, did he?" Kise peeked out from the telephone pole he was hiding behind, only to see the two still walking down the street.

"He didn't look this way I think?" Saeko observed. Deep down, she was actually finding this wild goose chase kind of entertaining; trying to get closer to Kise aside, it really was a better alternative to the coffee shop. Still, she didn't get his infatuation with such a _plain_ girl who was with someone else on a date... Presumably.

"Kise-kun, can I ask you a question about this 'Aomine-cchi' guy?"

"What about him?" The reply was disgruntled and quick.

She had found it odd that for someone who was literally triggered by the presence of the tanned male being near Tomoko to address him so familiarly. If they were friends, then wouldn't what Tomoko was doing count as breaking apart a friendship? That got her thinking. "What's your relation with him?" she asked.

"Hm... I admire Aomine-cchi. He's sort of a friend and inspiration for me," Kise admitted, his golden eyes shone with reminiscence before a cold look overtook it. However, it went unnoticed by Saeko.

"Okuma-san is the common interest, then?" she wondered with some bite to her tone. "Or is she already with him…?" When the blonde didn't reply, she mistook his silence for confirmation and boldly continued. "If she has feelings for your friend, wouldn't you want the best for them if you're not meant to be? I'd give up."

Kise stared at the girl, "Give up?" When she nodded, a laugh then escaped from his lips. "Please don't say something so blatantly hypocritical, Yamanaka-chan."

The beautiful girl looked both offended and nervous, so Kise went on with a cheery grin.

"Even after knowing that my heart is with another, you're still willing to pursue and get my attention in any way possible. Isn't that why you were willing to put up with my behavior and suggest that we follow them?" he looked down on the tight-lipped model. "In the same way, even _if_ what you thought about Aomine-cchi and Kuma-cchi were true, I'd still fight for her. I guess we're not so different."

"Why... Why won't you acknowledge my feelings?" Saeko bit out in frustration, stepping closer to the male with a determined stare. "What does _she_ have that I don't? She's a nobody! I can ruin her with the reputation I have—"

"I don't know what your impression of me is, but I'll tell you this… I don't like you, and I'm not that nice to people I don't respect," Kise leaned towards her with a dangerous smile. The aura around him conveyed a clear threat: offenders better think twice before speaking ill of Tomoko.

"..."

He could see that she was deeply affected by his words; her eyes were brimming with angry, unshed tears as she gripped onto the strap of her designer purse. He tilted his head, "Did I make you hate me now, Yamanaka-chan? Perhaps you don't even want to work with me anymore?"

"I'm..." Saeko bit her lips. "I'm not backing out from this project! But I'll take my leave now."

Kise didn't stop her as she called for her driver to pick her up one street over. When she hung up, she looked back at him with a sad, but hard gaze. "I guess you're right. We aren't different at all," she pointed to the couple they were trailing. Aomine had said something that made Tomoko laugh. "Like me, you'll never get her to look your way when there's someone else."

With that, she left without giving Kise a chance to say anything else. He stood silent for a while, his phone in hand. A text from his manager popped up on the screen but he paid no mind to it. He scrolled down his contacts list to click on Tomoko's profile instead, and it sent him to their most recent message.

It was just a simple request from him last night to talk to her on the phone, to which she had allowed and they ended up conversing for two hours. He loved to hear the caramel haired girl's voice, and talking to her soothed his mind and soul. Pulling down his cap, he turned the opposite way with a huff.

_You're wrong, Yamanaka Saeko._

Tomoko did pay attention to him, but her attention was also split amongst his former teammates. He was just going to have to win Tomoko's heart _first_.

* * *

_Tch, I knew it._

Aomine had been wondering why he kept feeling that there was someone following them since leaving Maji Burger. He had seen flashes of golden hair from the corner of his eyes, but hadn't been able to pin a target until now. When he looked back, he had seen Kise talking to a good looking ravenette before she stormed off. He wanted to know why the two was trailing behind him, and why the blonde suddenly changed directions.

Though, to prevent Tomoko from getting entangled with the blonde, he steered her towards the direction of a shoe store up ahead. "I'm gonna find a bathroom. Go in first."

"Ok—"

Aomine slipped away before Tomoko could finish and she giggled, _looks like an emergency. _As she walked towards the store, she was suddenly pulled into an alley by a rough hand. "Hey! Wha..." At first, she thought it was Aomine playing a prank on her, but her voice caught in her throat when she realized who was leering down at her, along with two others.

"Remember me, _baby_?"

* * *

"I should've known you were sharp enough to sense my presence," the blonde said good naturedly when Aomine caught up to him; he was no Kuroko Tetsuya, after all. The model peeked around the tanned male, "Where's Kuma-cchi?"

Aomine ignored his question and crossed his arms. They haven't really talked since Interhigh, not since the match between them, so the air was tense to say the least. "Why were you following us?"

"To check if Kuma-cchi is safe in your hands, of course," Kise replied, his smile pulling into a straight line. "Which I can see that she's not since you carelessly abandoned her to come find me."

An irked scowl appeared on the tanned miracle's face. "Oi, I was keepin' her away from a creep like you," he said, looking at the direction that Saeko had went. "You and your little _girlfriend _have a fight?"

Kise didn't let it show that the word 'girlfriend' had made him flinch internally. It was widely known within his basketball team that the one girlfriend he had in middle school played and left him for someone else, namely Haizaki.

If there was one thing he despised more than Aomine always being better than him in basketball, it was Haizaki Shougo's vile personality. After he had replaced the former small forward in Teiko, Haizaki never stopped causing problems for him. Stealing his ex-girlfriend was one of those problems—though he supposed that the girl only dated him for his fame as a model. That was the year he realized that getting serious with a girl would only drag him down... Then his mind immediately flashed to Tomoko.

_"Kise-kun, you can do it! I believe in you!"_

She wasn't like the other girls who only saw him as something special because he was good looking and a model. It wasn't every day that he gets to meet someone as genuine as her; someone who made him doubt his actions and want to be better. He'd be a fool to let her be charmed by someone else.

"Aomine-cchi," he turned to the tanned miracle with a serious expression overtaking his features. "I know you have feelings for Kuma-cchi as well... You may be superior than me in manys ways in basketball, but when it comes to her, I refuse to lose."

Aomine was taken aback at his sudden confession, but he recovered quickly. "Tch. So what if I do? You make it seem like it's only between us. Are you only afraid of me and not the others?"

"No. I'm aware of their feelings as well, and I'll respect Kuma-cchi's ultimate choice," he clarified, and then his golden orbs darkened. "But I'm not mature enough to stop fighting for her attention until the very end, especially against you."

Silence passed between the two miracles as they stared intently in each others' eyes. "Heh... I guess I ain't mature enough to back down either," Aomine said at last. Their tremendous clashing spirit could be measured tantamount to the day of their match. As their eyes passed on their silent emotions, the tension between them slowly dissipated.

"Come to think of it," Aomine then drawled with a smirk. "You never did beat me once in basketball. How do you know this won't be any different?"

"It will be..." the blonde shot back an equally taunting smirk. Then he pulled down an eye childishly and started running to the direction of where Tomoko would be, "After I go and sweep Kuma-cchi off her feet!"

"...Like hell you will!" the tanned miracle grumbled, pulling the suddenly-happy model by the collar of his jacket._ I ain't letting you butt in between us! _The two engaged in a small wrestling match to get ahead of each other, but a sudden cry made them stop dead in their tracks.

_"Get your hands—MUMPH!"_

They exchanged an alarmed look. _Tomoko!_

* * *

Tomoko glared hard at Eizan as she tried to twist her head away from one of his lackey's hand that was pushing down on her mouth to keep her quiet. They had each grabbed one of her arms and pulled her further into a different alley. During the struggle, she dropped her bag.

It wasn't a far walk, she realized, when they stopped at an abandoned looking storage space. Eizan then motioned for the guy to uncover her mouth as he sat down on a crate.

"I honestly wasn't expecting to see your cute face again," he stated with a snort, "but you quite literally bumped into me. I'm hurt you didn't say hi."

At first, Tomoko didn't know what the hell he was talking about, but then she understood. He must have been the one sitting at the table at Maji Burger, and now he was armed with two others.

"Even so, I was gonna let it slide... But then I saw that _pretty boy _walk past and it made me remember our nasty encounter last time."

_Kise-kun is nearby?_ Tomoko's salmon eyes darted around her surroundings. Eizan's two lackeys were rough and mean looking; if they ambushed the blonde, she wasn't sure he would be able to make it out unscathed. She needed steer them away from harming anyone. Glancing at the entrance of the building, she saw that it wasn't blocked off. Seeing that the three who kidnapped her were all brawn and no brain, if she could just make a run for it at the right time...

"What do you want?" she asked carefully, her heart pounding. This was just like deja vu.

"To get back at him for hurting my wrist," Eizan lifted up his once-injured hand. "An eye for an eye!"

The engines in Tomoko's brain was turning; she needed a distraction, and fast. "And how are you going to do that?"

"You're gonna call him over, of course. Or you do you prefer staying here alone and keeping us _company?_"

She winced in disgust at the male and went silent. The two options he gave her were both not ideal, but what can she do? She suddenly got an idea and looked at Eizan with pleading eyes. "...If I call him, you'll let me go?"

He let out a loud laugh, "I didn't take you for someone who would give up someone so easily. You're gonna break pretty boy's heart, but I like that!" He motioned for the two to let her go and he stepped in front of her, his fingers coming out to caress her chin, "Call him."

Tomoko let out a shaky breath and reached into her back pocket. She gave it a few panicking seconds before looking back up at Eizan, who still had his fingers curled firmly on her chin. "I-I think I dropped my phone somewhere..."

The male scowled and one of his lackeys suddenly spoke up, "She did drop her bag back at that alley. Want me to go check?" He nodded and the guy dashed off. Looking back at Tomoko, he relished in the nervous look she sported.

He motioned for the other guy to grab a crate over from behind him. "You're almost shaking. Needa seat?" he leaned down to her level with a lecherous smirk.

_Now! This was her chance!_

"I think..." she started to say, leaning her head back slightly before lurching it forward with her eyes shut. "You're the one who needs a seat!"

_BAM!_

"Fucking HELL!"

The force of her headbutt was so great that Eizan lost balance and tumbled backwards straight into the other guy. They both slammed to the ground and the wooden crate broke into pieces. Tomoko cupped her forehead and hissed in pain, but she quickly took her chance and ran out.

"Don't let her fucking get away!"

She could hear footsteps behind her, and while she was a bit disoriented, she tried to follow the sound of cars on the street to get out of the alley first. Looking left then right, she made an educated guess and ran right—right into Kise.

"Kuma-cchi!? Where have you been? Are—Are you okay?!" He only then saw the nasty red and purple swell peeking out from behind the girl's fringes and her pained expression. "Kuma-cchi?!"

Instead of responding, she pulled on his sleeve urgently, "R-Run!" Without another word, Kise took her hand and ran—he could ask what happened later. Right now, he needed to find Aomine in case there was danger. Taking another turn down the twist of alleys, they luckily found the tanned miracle. However, he was preoccupied with his own problem. Rather, he just took care of the problem with a rough punch to the face.

"I'll ask you _again. _Why do you have her bag?" he lifted the injured guy's collar, ready to throw another punch when Tomoko yelled out his name. He turned, allowing the guy to run away, and widened his eyes at the sight before him. "Okuma!"

At this time, Eizan and his other lackey had caught up to the girl and the blonde. His eyes showed rage as his forehead also sported a nasty red bump. They were both gripping a broken piece of plank wood, ready to swing. Aomine stood up and glared at the intruders as Kise immediately pulled Tomoko behind him.

"Call Megumi-cchi for me, okay? She'll sort this out," the blonde told her softly, pushing his phone into her hands. She winced slightly and nodded.

"Are you the ones that did this to her?" Aomine barked, taking a threatening step towards Eizan and his lackey. Tomoko could see that he was beyond angry. They swung at him, but with lightening speed, the plank wood was kicked out of their hands. A fight immediately broke out in the alley.

Even without seeing the fight, she knew that without weapons to assist these thugs, it was a losing fight against two very athletic basketball players.

"...Didn't I tell you that the next time you touch her, I'll break your hand?"

Tomoko vaguely made out Kise's voice, and then a cry. After making the call, she felt extremely dizzy and had to lean against the wall for support. She wanted to stop the fighting, but she found that she had no energy to even open her mouth...

The last thing she heard was the two miracles' worried shouts.

.

_thirty-six_

**tough luck**

.

_"...Checked for a concussion... if any, it's very minor. Just... away from bright lights and loud noises... few days. As for the bruise on her forehead, apply ointment... away in a week..."_

Tomoko zoned the conversation in and out before she opened her eyes. Her hand went up to touch the white bandage on her forehead. She wasn't dizzy anymore, but her head was still heavy from the injury. When her teammates noticed that she was awake, they quickly piled into the small room.

"Okuma-chan!" Koganei and the other first years cried. Kuroko walked over to the side of the bed and helped her sit up.

"You're all here...? How long was I out for?"

"The doctor said two hours, but thankfully it's not that serious. We came as soon as Kise called us," Riko answered as she made her way to the front of the crowd. She frowned at the bandage on the girl's head, "He told us everything. You seriously _head-butted_ the guy?"

"...Yeah," Tomoko said sheepishly at the coach's disapproving sigh and grinned. "But I'm okay though! Right?"

"You call this okay?!" Kagami scowled incredulously.

"Tomoko-san, your injury could've been worse," Kuroko agreed. "Please don't do anything like this again."

"...Sorry..."

"On the bright side, it must've been a killer head-butt, huh?" Alex tried to brighten up the atmosphere. "On par with the American football team!"

"_Alex_!"

"Ack!" the busty blonde ate a mouthful of the redhead's basketball jacket. "Okay! Sorry, geez! I told you not to throw clothes at me, Taiga!"

The rest of the guys sighed, and Tomoko could see that they were all truly worried for her. It must've been scary to learn that she was unconscious and sent to the hospital, especially since they were already high on tension during game season. She slowly got out of the bed, "Oh! Is Kise-kun and Aomine-kun okay?" She was worried that they got injured during the fight, too.

"Aomine-kun went down to the police station to turn the thugs in," Kuroko replied. "And Kise-kun was dragged away by his manager earlier."

_The police station? _Tomoko widened her eyes. Wouldn't he also get in trouble for hitting the thugs? And Kise; it would be bad if the media got wind of this...

Sensing her panic, the blue haired shadow set a hand gently on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "They won't get in trouble because it was in self defense. Also, Aomine-kun's father is the chief of police and Kise-kun's manager had already talked to him."

"R-Really?" she sighed in relief.

"Yeah, so don't lose any more brain cells worrying about it, got it?" A new voice said by the door. Seirin looked over and saw Aomine leaning against the wall with a puffy-faced Momoi attached to his side.

"K-Kuma-chan!" the pink haired girl sobbed and ran up to Tomoko, embracing her in a gentle hug. "I'm so glad you're okay! It's all my fault!" Tomoko patted the girl's back, trying to reassure her that it wasn't her fault and that she was perfectly okay, but Momoi continued to cry.

"She's been like this since you got to the hospital," Aomine rolled his eyes, but his face showed worry as well. "I don't even know who cried harder, her or..." he muttered. Footsteps rushed down the hallway, and then...

"Kuma-cchi!" Kise appeared from the door, followed by his exasperated manager. "How are you feeling?!"

Tomoko turned her head towards the tearful blonde and smiled since she couldn't move her arms from under Momoi's hug. "I'm fine! Just a, um, sore head?"

"Sore head? Perhaps your head injury messed with your language skills," another deep voice traveled from the door in an almost chiding manner. His hawk eyed companion also popped his head out from behind and nudged him for being so harsh. "...But it seems that you are okay."

"Midorima-kun!" she blinked in surprise to see the green haired miracle here as well, since he probably just finished his game not long ago. "Why are you here, too...?"

"I was simply in the area."

Takao chuckled and slapped the tall male's back before bouncing over to the girl. "Shin-chan just won't admit that he wanted to see if you're okay. He even went to get you a little get-well gift—"

"Her lucky item," Midorima defended immediately. In his left hand was a small plastic carton of blueberries. "Libras have the worst luck today."

"Geez, who invited all you people?" Kagami grumbled loudly, eyes scanning the large amount of people cramped in the small hospital room, but mostly just at the bothersome miracles and their sidekicks. Aomine snorted besides him.

"What crawled up your ass and died?"

His eyes twitched and he took a step towards the miracle, but was stopped by Alex when she wrapped an arm around his neck. "Okay, enough of that. We should leave before that nice nurse over there kicks us out." True to her words, there was a nurse walking over towards them, a clipboard in her hands.

"Patient Okuma Tomoko?" she walked over to Tomoko and quickly gave her a once-over. Being sure that the girl was fine, she checked off the boxes on her sheet and nodded at the group of people surrounding her. "She's good to go," the nurse confirmed, then she smiled back at Tomoko. "You're lucky to have so many people around you who care about you. Have a good night."

After the nurse left, Tomoko turned to her dearest teammates and friends, who all looked at her expectantly with joy and relief. She cracked a smile as well.

_Yeah... I am lucky!_

* * *

It was dark by the time they were out of the hospital. As winter drew nearer, the days was getting shorter and shorter. A loud ringtone then sounded and everyone looked at Kise, whose hand shot to his back pocket and answered the call. There was a muffled shout from the other end and the model's face paled. It was from his captain, and the man was not very happy that he had skipped practice.

His manager, Megumi, could only sigh and rub the bridge of her nose. She knew the model's schedule, of course, and she knew he was extremely late to Kaijo's practice. After letting him sulk comically for a few minutes, she finally offered him a ride back to Kanagawa in her car.

"Good luck, Kise-kun," Tomoko encouraged when the blonde walked past her. She gave him a gentle smile, "And thank you. I'm glad you and Aomine-kun didn't get hurt today."

_You're saying thank you when you're the one who saved me today, Kuma-cchi..._ Kise felt his stomach tighten at her warmth. He wanted to tell her right then and there of his feelings for her, but he knew it wouldn't be fair to the girl to put her on the spot with so many people around. But he was a selfish person by nature, so instead, he leaned in with his hot breath tickling her ear, whispering so only she could hear.

"Please wait for me, okay?"

He could see that she was confused at what he meant, and he was proud of the blush that produced from her cheeks. _Soon..._ At his manager's impatient command to hurry up, he let her go and threw the rest of the gang a handsome grin. "I'll see you guys later~" he waved and left in his manager's car.

"...What was that about?" Furihata asked, to which no one responded. Riko then cleared her throat.

"Alright... Let's head home and review the data on Nakamiya South," she said and then turned to Tomoko. "Except you, Okuma-chan. You need rest."

Tomoko wanted to retort, but at the stern look that the coach was giving her, she sighed in defeat. "Fine..."

"Ah, while you guys do that, allow me to borrow this guy for awhile," Alex suddenly said. She reached over and pulled Kagami to her chest. "I promise to return him safely in time for your next game."

"Eh? Well, okay," Riko blinked. She decided not to question the woman since she knew what she was doing. Altering seeing the abilities of one of the Generation of Miracles at play today, she must have found a way train the redhead more effectively. "We'll go ahead then."

They parted ways with the redhead and his master, and coincidentally, was heading the same way as Midorima and Takao. "Hey, aren't you guys missing your phantom sixth man?" the hawk eyed male said with a close-eyed grin. When the guys looked around with shock, he cracked up incredulously. "What... You guys seriously didn't notice!"

"Tetsuya-kun has a weak presence," Tomoko defended for her team, but she too was curious as to where her blue haired friend went without a sound.

"Come to think of it..." Koganei piped as he scratched the side of his head. "I saw him talking to Aomine before we walked out, but now both of them are gone... Momoi-san, too. Where did they go?"

* * *

"You did mention somethin' about calling me out tonight..."

Aomine shoved his hands in his jean pockets and looked back at the quiet shadow. They had just parted ways with Momoi, who had sensed that they needed time alone, and was now walking down the sidewalk by shops that were closing. "So what is it that you need, Tetsu?"

Kuroko returned his look with a serious one. "Let me be direct, then. Aomine-kun..." Besides them, cars passed by and illuminated the street with bright colors and made the shadow's sapphire eyes contain more depth than usual.

"Teach me to shoot."

* * *

"Why him?"

At Izuki's question, Riko furrowed her brows in thought. She had asked the blue haired boy the exact same question when he told her about his plan in training for the next few days. "He said that as far as he knows, Aomine-kun is the best," she replied before turning her head towards the green haired miracle. "I'm sure it was of no offense towards you."

"None taken," Midorima answered coolly. "Kuroko has a terrible shooting percentage. It would be a lost cause if I tried to teach him... Aomine's formless style is what he needs."

All of Seirin nodded their heads silently in agreement. They also understood that while that may be true, even if all went well during their next two games and they face Yosen, will the few days of training really do anything for Kuroko?

"Will he be okay?" Hyuuga had worry etched on his face. He wasn't one to rely on luck, and it seemed like they were really trying to push it.

"Combined with the shooting training Kuroko-kun has been receiving from my dad after the preliminaries..." Riko looked at her team with confidence. "He should be alright."

Teppei nodded. "In any case, he has to master it sooner than later for future battles. We can't rely on just a single one of his abilities too much or it will use its usefulness."

_Kuroko has used the drive on us a few times and Aomine broke the drive altogether, but once he is able to shoot, a whole new domain of possibilities are opened up to Seirin,_ Midorima thought to himself. It made sense, but he was conflicted about one thing. _Akashi must have known this back in Teiko, too..._

"You guys just beat Aomine in a match though," Takao mused at the idea, "Is he really willing to teach Kuroko so freely?"

"I don't think that will be a problem," it was Tomoko who gave the hawk eyed player a small grin. "Aomine-kun seemed to be eager to play again," she said, thinking back to this morning. As her thoughts trailed off to the two former partners, she suddenly grew somber. Truth to be told, she was slightly hurt that Kuroko didn't mention the training sessions he has been attending. They were close, so she didn't like to be kept in the dark.

Soon, the team and the partners from Shutoku reached a crossroad. Koganei, Mitobi, and Fukuda exchanged goodbyes as they split to the left while Izuki, Hyuuga, and the other two first-years headed right. Tsuchida also bid them goodbye since he needed to stop by a convenience store on his way home.

"I can walk you home if you'd like, Okuma-chan," Teppei offered when they walked further. He knew usually Kagami or Kuroko always walked the girl home, but since they were both gone, it was getting late and she was injured, it was only the right thing to do as her senior.

Tomoko shook her head, "You should walk Riko-san home. She lives farther away than me."

"I'll be fine," Riko waved off dismissively.

"Eh?" the center seemed torn as the caramel haired manager made a good point. "Then I'll walk you both home! It's late."

"...That'll have you walking across town, senpai."

"Tomo-chan can walk with us then," Takao offered in rescue. "I'm sure Shin-chan doesn't mind. Right?" He nudged the miracle, to which he received a small 'hn' in reply. Linking arms with Tomoko, he saluted Teppei and Riko, "Yup! We'll make sure she gets home safe~"

At the girl's added reassuring smile, the two upperclassmen went on their way. As soon as they left, Takao let go of Tomoko's arm and pouted.

"I just remembered I also have to stop at the convenience store. Walk home with Shin-chan, okay?"

"Oh," Tomoko blinked before nodding with understanding.

_Damn you, Takao,_ Midorima thought with a twitch.

_Thank me later, Shin-chan~_ Takao sniggered as he left the two behind. "See ya!"

Tomoko waved and turned back her last companion. They started walking for awhile, and though the miracle was quiet, she didn't mind. She went to open the carton of blueberries taste the mellow-sweetness. When she saw that he was watching her, she paused mid-delivery to her mouth.

"Um, is it okay to eat a lucky item...?"

"You may do whatever you please with it."

"Then..." she offered him one with a smile. "Will you like to share with me?"

Midorima stared at her cute expression for a moment before taking the fruit and looked away quickly. "Thanks."

"I know you're gonna say that it was a given Shutoku would win today, but still, congratulations. I'm sorry I couldn't come see you guys play, though," she said softly, her hand coming up subconsciously to touch the white bandage. The miracle suddenly stopped walking, causing her to pause as well and look back at him. "Midorima-kun?"

"Why do you always put others before yourself?" he asked abruptly.

"Eh?"

"You were sent to the hospital and yet you are apologizing for not attending a pointless match."

Tomoko grew angry at his choice of wording and furrowed her brows. "I don't think it's pointless at all," she looked up at his burning emerald eyes. "I enjoy watching you and the other miracles play because you guys are so good. I also enjoy seeing others have fun at the sport they love while they are playing against their opponents, so it's not pointless!"

"That should be the least of your worries at the moment because you are hurt," he retorted, taking a forceful step towards her. "What part of that do you not understand?"

"I have a bruised forehead, not crippled! It's not even that bad, so I _don't understand_ why you care so—"

"I care because you are important to me!" he shot back, stunning her to silence. There, he said it. If Takao was present to witness his uncharacteristic outburst, the male would've had a field day for sure because he spent so much time and energy banking on the fact that he had feelings for Seirin's little manager. But the 'feeling' Midorima had for Tomoko wasn't what Takao thought it was. It wasn't even what he himself thought it was.

Not many girls caught Midorima's eyes in the past, most because the lot of them in Teiko were too preppy or too immature. He was always drawn to older, more mature girls simply because of the way they think and carried themselves. When he compared what he thought of Tomoko with his ideal type, it was a different feeling. She has undeniably become an important figure in his life, but he was not sure that was love. He cared for her, but was it in a romantic way?

Maybe it will be one day, but for now... He was not willing to take that step.

"If Kuroko, Kagami, or any of your teammates got hurt, would you care about that more than anything else?" he asked her, this time his voice was softer. She nodded slowly, eyes downcast. "That is what I want you to understand."

"I'm sorry... For yelling at you..." she mumbled, her lowered head just inches from his chest. Midorima's taped fingers lingered above her momentarily before he rubbed her head gently. A warm feeling filled the girl's heart and she leaned towards it, "Thank you for caring, Midorima-kun."

_You're welcome,_ the miracle thought with a small smile. "Come, I still have to walk you home."

It took a second for Tomoko to compose herself again, but she nodded with a rosy blush and walked next to the taller male. Today was such a long day full of confusing signals... And feelings...

What was happening to her?

* * *

_EXTRA:_

_Late in the night, Tomoko slept and rolled over slightly in her bed, burying her face into the soft material of her Keroppi plush. Laying next to her head, her phone buzzed lightly with a notification._

_..._

_From: Aomine Daiki_

_To: Okuma Tomoko_

_Goodnight, Chibi. Dream of me ;)_

_(01:05)_

_..._

_It buzzed again, and this time she grumbled softly in her sleep._

_..._

_From: Aomine Daiki_

_To: Okuma Tomoko_

_Shit. Was tryna be smooth but I realized ur probably already asleep..._

_(01:06)_

_..._

* * *

**the romance cruise is sailing so plz remember to feed the fish (reviews)~!**

**/honestly who is aomine lmao n just imagine canon!aomine'sdad as chief of police woah**


	37. It's Not a Weakness

Hello readers, I'm back with another chapter! We're getting closer and closer to the Seirin/Yosen match and the others that follow! This may be the last filler chapter for a while (don't quote me) but yaaaaaah. Enjoy :)

_Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi._

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_**SPARK**_

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Susa flipped the pencil between his fingers idly, his head resting on a palm and was deep in thought.

"What's up, Susa? You haven't been making any progress," Imayoshi commented when he noticed the man's far-off look. They were in Touou's library, with books and worksheets sprawled around them, studying for the upcoming college exams since retiring from the team.

"I was just thinking it's almost time..."

"Oh, right," the bespectacled senior looked thoughtful as well. "Seirin's probably playing their second game around now... Though, it has nothing to do with us anymore."

Susa let out a small sigh. "They beat us. It'd be a shame if they lost their second game."

"Yeah, but the stronger team doesn't always win. You might even say they'll lose."

"What do you mean?"

"The first is Seirin is far from hitting their stride today. Against us, all five Seirin players gave 100%, no, 120%. But that hardly ever happens," the male's glasses glossed over as he started sketching in his notebook. "You couldn't keep that up every game. The second is that they beat us. They say you shouldn't let your guard down after a victory... After you win, everyone lets their guard down."

The brunette watched as the former captain doodle with a small frown. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was ugly. "Imayoshi, you're terrible at drawing," he remarked and leaned back in his chair. He knew there was more to what the senior was thinking, and he was listening.

"There's no such thing as a perfect human. Besides, confidence and arrogance are two sides of the same coin," Imayoshi ignored the comment and continued. "I also overheard from Momoi that Seirin's manager got hurt and won't be coming to their game today. It's quite obvious to see that their aura is different when she's with them. Alternatively, it affects them when she's not." Satisfied with the way his sketch of a samurai holding a lantern turned out, he went back to his workbook.

"In other words, in today's game, Seirin's greatest enemy is themselves."

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_thirty-seven_

**it's not a weakness**

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Tomoko sulked as she watched the time tick on her oven stove. There was a tray of blueberry muffins baking in the oven and the sweet aroma wafted through the entire kitchen, but she couldn't get excited about it like she normally would.

Why? She wanted to be at her team's second game of Winter Cup to cheer them on, but she was stuck at home to watch for Alex's text updates. While she was still unconscious, the doctor had told Riko that it while it wasn't likely she had a concussion, it was better safe than sorry to have her not be in an arena with loud noises and bright lights for a few days. So, the coach ordered her to stay home for two days—that meant _two_ games.

_Ding!_

That was her cue that the muffins were ready. She got up and went to retrieve the baked goods, and just as she set them down to cool, her phone rang.

"Hello," she answered without looking at the caller ID. Her childhood friend's energetic voice connected through the line.

_"Hime! Where are you?"_

"I'm at home," she pouted at the fact that she was, but grow confused at Hayama's anxious tone. "What's wrong?"

_"Oh, nothing! We just finished our game and I saw your team go in when we left, but I didn't see you anywhere. Why're you home? Are you sick?"_

Tomoko scrunched her nose sheepishly. "Something like that, but not really..." she didn't want her friend to worry because she knew he would blow it out to be more serious than it was. "Are you done for the day?" she asked. There was no doubt that Rakuzan would win their second match anyway, but even the top teams had to be busy with training during the game season.

_"Coach's got us on a tight schedule... But hey, why don't you come visit me?! We're gonna be practicing at the gym in our hotel and you can come watch!"_

At her childhood friend's offer, Tomoko gave it a thought. She was going to be cooped up in the house all day otherwise. Plus, she was curious about what kind of people were on Rakuzan, Hayama and Akashi aside. This would be a great opportunity to gage what they were like and make her feel better about not being able to watch her team play.

With that in mind, she smiled brightly. "I'll be there soon!"

* * *

"Welcome! Are you checking in?"

Tomoko was in awe. She thought the outside of the hotel looked grand enough, but the inside was even more pristine. It was to be expected, she supposed, since Rakuzan was a prestigious school and had a lot of funds in their basketball club to afford such a nice hotel. Focusing her attention back to the lady behind the front desk, she politely told her she was only visiting. Hayama had told her to wait in the lobby for him.

"Hime!"

She saw the male bound up to her after coming out from the emergency stairs. He had a slight glisten of sweat around his grinning face.

"Did you run all the way down from the stairs?"

Tomoko laughed when he nodded proudly. "The elevators were too slow!" he said, but then he leaned in close to her face, his own scrunched in concern at the square bandage behind her fringes.

"What happened to your forehead?!"

"I... Accidentally hit my head..."

"Really?" he looked like he didn't believe her, but she nodded and assured him that it didn't hurt that much anyway. "If I find out _someone_ did this..." he mumbled lowly.

"What did you say, Ko-tan?" Tomoko asked when she didn't catch his last words. The blonde only shook his head and took her hand in his with a snaggle-toothed grin.

"Nothing! C'mon, let me show you the gym!"

Hayama led the bewildered girl up the hotel, this time using the elevator, until they reached the floor where the recreation area was located. When they stepped off the elevator, he showed her a giant court enclosed by half-length glass walls; Tomoko noticed that aside from the main gym, there was a closed-off personal training gym next to it as well. She saw many people in the court, practicing in rhythm.

"We booked the entire recreation area for the time being, so everyone you see here are from our team," Hayama explained as he opened the door, and the once muffled squeaks of shoes and patterned whistles came to life. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"You're _late_," a very tall and beautiful looking male walked up to the two childhood friends with his hands on his hips. His lips twisted down in a small frown at Hayama when the male didn't look too troubled by the tardiness. His bright teal eyes then fluttered towards Tomoko, "Who's this?"

"I'm Okuma Tomoko from Seirin High, nice to meet you!"

When Tomoko bowed slightly in greeting, Mibuchi chuckled and recognized who she was. "Ah, Kotarou-kun didn't mention you were such a darling!" he complimented her good manners and cheery exterior. When the blonde came back the day of the opening ceremony, he had rambled on about finding his childhood friend who was Seirin's manager without shutting up. Now he finally got to meet her. "I'm Mibuchi Reo," he winked at the girl. "Are you here to watch us practice? Scoping out competition?"

"If you don't mind me keeping you guys at your toes," she smiled with good humor. Mibuchi took an instant liking to this girl.

"I'm sure Coach wouldn't—"

Before he got to finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a burly male sporting a short goatee. The man peered down at Tomoko with a strange expression. "I smelled food!" he stated loudly, as if that was a good reason to barge between them so suddenly. "Oi girlie, what's in your bag? Is it meat?!"

Tomoko was confused at his strange inquisition, but she opened her bag to reveal a container of freshly baked blueberry muffins. At the sight of them, Nebuya looked visibly disappointed that it wasn't his beloved meat and turned to Hayama with a frown.

"Next time tell your girlfriend to bring us some meat! I got so excited for nothing."

"In your dreams, Nebuya!" Hayama hugged the container protectively. "Hime's food is only for _me_ to eat!"

"Well, actually," Tomoko rolled her eyes playfully at the blonde's antics and offered both Nebuya and Mibuchi a muffin. "I made a lot, so I brought them here for you guys to share! Also, Ko-tan and I are just really good friends, Nebuya-san."

At her blatant reply, Nebuya laughed mockingly at the shorter male as he took a muffin and shoved it in his mouth. He was surprised at how delicious it was since he normally only ate meat dishes. When he reached over to grab another one, Mibuchi twisted his lip in disgust at his mannerism, or rather, lack thereof, before turning to her to compliment her talent. Of course, Hayama then had to cut in and boast about all the times he got to taste her baking.

Tomoko giggled and looked them with a thoughtful pout. Her childhood friend aside, the other two males were interesting to say the least. Though they contrasted each other greatly with personality and vital stats, she knew they were the powerful regulars on Rakuzan just by the way they carried themselves.

"Mibuchi. Nebuya. Hayama." An older man with a grey streak across the side of his head said when he drew near the group. His eyes briefly glanced at Tomoko before looking straight ahead again. "Get back to practice."

"Yes, coach," the three said in unison and the man walked off.

Hayama took the coach's silence as approval and led Tomoko towards the bench near the area they were going to be doing some warm-ups, but before he went off, she pulled him aside with a questioning gaze. "Is it just going to be the three of you?" she asked with a tilt of her head. It looked like the regulars on Rakuzan practiced separate from the second and third strings... Her question made Hayama look around briefly and shrug.

"Mayuzumi's probably off somewhere reading his light novels... I donno, he doesn't do much anyway," he said while dribbling a ball. Nebuya came up to block him but he ducked with lightening speed and underhanded the ball. It landed perfectly into the net and he turned to the girl excitedly. "Did you see that?!"

_He's so fast!_ Tomoko thought incredulously while clapping. She's seen many fast players during her time with Seirin, but perhaps Hayama was the fastest yet. "That was _amazing_, Ko-tan!"

"I know right!? Watch this!" he started dribbling again, but this time the ball was traveling between his fingers and the ground faster. He was good at dribbling. Really, _really_ good. Not only could she barely follow it... But was the ball hitting the ground louder than usual? Each bounce was practically shaking the ground!

She frowned. Maybe she _does_ have a concussion...

"Practice seriously or Sei-chan's going to punish you for goofing off again," Mibuchi chided as he passed by. The mention of the red haired captain was enough to reel Hayama's excitement back a notch. Likewise, Tomoko blinked and quickly shook away her lingering doubt.

"Where _is_ Akashi-kun? And, if you don't mind me asking, why aren't you guys practicing together with the rest of the team?" she asked as Mibuchi did a layup and the other two followed suit. She was in awe at how perfectly they executed the move each time, and she also noticed that the graceful ravenette's form seemed somehow similar, yet way more refined.

"Sei-chan went to speak to Mayuzumi," the shooting guard informed her openly. "We only practice together sometimes if Sei-chan finds a need to. We're really just here to set the non-regulars an example to practice hard."

"That's the only way to gain more power!" Nebuya added with a shout as he made a dunk the second time around during their layup. The hoop clanked loudly as the ball slammed down with a deafening bounce, and it must've been a miracle that the hoop didn't break off. He pointed to a group of first-years doing drills with a prideful expression on his face, "Oi guys, you see that _muscle dunk_? Watch and learn!"

* * *

_So this is Rakuzan... _The caramel haired girl had excused herself to use the restroom a moment ago and was washing her hands. _Ko-tan has some incredible teammates._ Shutting off the faucet, she dried her hands and started walking back to the court. She paused to watched them continue their practice from the other side of the glass when Mibuchi made another spectacular shot.

Where has she seen this form before?

She wasn't sure what she had expected, but as far as she could tell, Rakuzan stressed the importance of practice and took the team's training very seriously, much like her own team. Speed, power, grace... Rakuzan had it all. But, if she didn't know better, she would think their team dynamic was set up in such a way that resembled an Empire. The coach seemed imposing enough, but it looked like the regulars more frequently took orders and carried out decisions made by their captain.

If the lower strings were the _soldiers_ looking up to the regulars, who were the _generals_, then...There was a pause at the last possibility.

"If Rakuzan was in fact an Empire, does that make Akashi-kun the _Emperor_?" she mumbled quietly.

"I trust you are getting some good insight from our practice, Okuma-san."

Akashi voicing his sudden presence had caught Tomoko off-guard and she gasped softly in surprise. The male was looking at her with an amused expression. He, like the others, was wearing casual workout clothes. Yet, he still looked imposing as ever.

_Did he hear me? _

If he did, he made no point to address it as he stood next to her. Tomoko noticed that he was watching each player carefully, as if he was analyzing their moves and formulating new ways to improve them constantly.

"Rakuzan's strength is incredible," she then admitted truthfully. They were just having a normal practice, yet nothing about this team was exactly screaming _normal_. "It's not hard to see why Rakuzan was the reigning champs for five years... But that doesn't mean it'll be the case _this_ year."

"How bold," Akashi regarded her with a straight face.

It seemed that she was still foolishly unwilling to submit to his absolute strength, but that made it all the more fun for him to defeat Seirin—that is, _if_ they make it to the finals. It's become pretty tedious for him to sit out on matches, seeing that his desired opponents weren't facing him yet. The Generation of Miracles all split up to different high schools for that reason, after all. Together they were undefeatable and made basketball quite bland, so splitting up made the competition just a little entertaining.

It was a shame that Kuroko had decided back then to abandon the Generation of Miracles, and abandon everything Akashi's taught him. It was a weakness. The shadow always did have too strong a sense of humility...

_He doesn't see the absolute power only victors hold, and neither does she_.

"Anyway, I realize I might be overstaying my welcome." The girl's content sigh brought his attention back to her. She gave him a small smile, "I'll like to say bye to them, then I'll leave!"

The captain found himself increasingly interested in figuring out how she worked. He couldn't deny that she was like the blue haired shadow in many ways, from her values to her sense of humility. Her loyalty and passion towards those she believes in was commendable but a waste to not be serving under him.

"There's no need," he said, leaving no room for refusal as his heterochromatic eyes burned into her salmon ones. "Stay and accompany me to dinner tonight."

Her eyes widened before her expression twisted in a bewildered pout. He noted that she was very expressive with her emotions; she practically wore it on her sleeve. Yet she had surprised him twice now, showing him that she was not afraid nor withered too easily under his gaze. Perhaps her boldness was also why his former teammates were so drawn to her, like moths to a flame.

It would surely benefit him to observe her more...

Because if she was the flame, then Akashi wanted to be the one who puts her out.

* * *

"Seirin High, time out!"

At Kuroko's suggestion, the team was called back. There was only a few minutes left of their second quarter, and Seirin was already lagging behind Nakamiya South in points and performance. Riko knew it was going to be rough, but they had decided to conserve Kagami's and Kuroko's energy until their fourth match, which they will be hopefully going against Yosen. They can't afford to slip up here.

The starting players, consisting of Hyuuga, Izuki, Teppei, Tsuchida, and Mitobe, came back to the bench where the brunette coach was frowning with thought.

"Listen guys, I know—"

"Hold up," Hyuuga cut in knowingly. He grabbed the booklet of the Winter Cup match-ups and other details from the bench and pointed to the center bracket on the page. "I'm sure everyone knows this is what we're aiming for. 50 schools fought tooth and nail through the preliminaries to represent their prefectures, and every one is carrying the wishes of the ones they defeated in the preliminaries. They practiced until they were puking up blood and survived desperate battles. Yet, only _one_ school can beat them all," he gritted his teeth. "Of course being the best in Japan isn't easy! Everyone's desperate, but letting your guard down for a second is fatal. I know it makes sense in your heads, but I think we still have a weakness in our hearts."

At the captain's sincere speech, Riko softened. She was worried that her team was slipping up after gaining such a tremendous victory their first match but it looked like she had nothing to worry about after all. Seirin isn't just made up of their two first-year starters; the second-years were strong, too.

"Anyway, Coach, hit me with your best shot so I can get my head on straight," Hyuuga said.

"What?" Riko voiced with surprise at his voluntary request to get hit, though she was already stretching out her arm with a pleasant smile on her face. "But I'm so weak~"

_You seem really excited..._ Kuroko and Kagami gulped as they watched her walk closer to the captain, who looked for a split second like he wanted to take back his request. They were lucky they weren't playing at the moment...

"H-Hurry up and get it over with."

Several wake-up hits and the sound of the buzzer later, the match continued. No one dared to question out loud why the Seirin second-years, along with their benched players, had a glaring red handprint on their left cheeks.

"I'm disappointed in myself," the brunette sighed as she sat back down next to Kuroko, giving him a small smile. "I should have noticed sooner, but you and Teppei were trying to say the same thing, right? Guys with national experience see things differently."

"No..." the shadow blinked and frowned pitifully. His cheek stung. "If you knew that, though, I wish you hadn't hit me."

"Sorry, I got caught in the moment," the older girl clapped her hands together in apology. "If Okuma-chan was here, she would've stopped me... Ahaha."

"More like you'd ask her to join in," Kagami scowled to himself. Though, even he felt refreshed and knew that it was what the team needed to get their acts together. _It's nice having seniors you can count on._

"I should have left Number 2 with Tomoko-san," Kuroko realized as his bright eyes softened dejectedly. "She looked really upset she couldn't come." The redhead snorted and patted the boy's back.

"She'll find a way to entertain herself, trust me."

* * *

"Really? That's great!" Tomoko looked relieved and a smile made its way across her face. The feminine voice on the other line hummed. After the end of Seirin's match, she had received messages from all of her teammates telling her that they successfully won the match as well as encouragements for her to rest well for the two days and come back. It was only later when Alex called her with the full details.

_"Honestly, I was scared they'd lose, but I'm glad they pulled through. I'm sure I don't have to say it, but the Generation of Miracles also advanced to their third games."_

"I wouldn't doubt it," she replied with a knowing expression. Looking at the time, she realized that it was almost six in the evening. "Is the team back home now?"

_"Yeah, Riko-chan didn't want to disturb you so we all went off our own ways to continue practice. She feels bad, you know, for not letting you come. How are you feeling, by the way? You didn't naughtily sneak off somewhere, did ya?"_

Tomoko chuckled sheepishly at the tease; the woman didn't know just how _accurate_ her guess was. Rakuzan had finish practice so she was waiting in the leisure floor as the team freshened up. She originally hadn't wanted to stay this long, but Hayama insisted and, as it was still fresh on her mind, she found herself almost _obligated_ to stay because of Akashi's abrupt request.

"I wouldn't exactly say I _sneaked_ off... But I went to see Rakuzan practice."

_"Rakuzan?!"_

"A-Alex, not so loud!" the girl widened her eyes. She was sure the busty woman was with Kagami and she was not ready to hear the redhead's angry lecture about doing what she wasn't suppose to do _again_. "Please don't tell Riko-san or the others about this or they'll chain me to my house tomorrow," she said and heard Alex sigh on the other line.

_"Fine... But why were you there? Are you still there?"_

"Yeah I am. My childhood friend Kotarou asked me to come and I wanted to see what kind of team Rakuzan was, and..."

_"And you saw that they were complete monsters, right?" _

She nodded even though the blonde couldn't see her. "They were just really... Spectacular."

_"I know what you mean. I did a little research on my own, and from what I've seen, the Rakuzan starters this year are, if not just as good, as the Generations of Miracles. It's almost frightening to know that they all can be compared to some of the great NBA players I've seen during my time." _

Hearing the former women's NBA player confirm her thoughts, Tomoko couldn't help but shiver a little. But oddly, she was excited. Seirin _will_ face Rakuzan one day, and she couldn't wait to see just how the match between the top team of Japan and hers will go down.

_"Anyway—ah, Taiga, you're out of the shower—ACK! For the last time, stop throwing clothes at me!"_

_"Put that on! How is it that I took a shower but you're the one with no clothes on!?"_

Tomoko could hear complaints from the other line and she giggled lightly. The eccentric American woman's habit of walking around nude was still a wonder to her but was also quite hilarious. "Alex?"

_"__I have to go now, take care okay? Bye__—oi Taiga!__" _The line went dead and Tomoko put her phone away with a small smile. They must be going to grab a quick bite and then go back to practice. All of them were working hard; she was glad to hear that Seirin did well, and even though she won't be at their third game on the fourth day, she knows they'll win.

Looking at the time again, she saw that it was now six and she was growing hungry. On cue, her stomach let out a low grumble. She decided that she was bored of sitting still and decided to walk around to forget her grumbling stomach.

The leisure floor, like the recreation area, was extensive and dedicated to keep the guests relaxed. On one side, there was an arcade for smaller kids and teenagers in a soundproof room and some unoccupied pool tables lined up next to it. On the other side, there was an enclosed area with a pool and many guests were having fun inside. Tomoko walked past the more quiet area of the floor where comfy lounge chairs was situated around for the guests and was headed towards the pool area when she hit a lean chest.

"Ow..." she hissed when the bruise on her forehead throbbed slightly from the contact. It was fortunate that she didn't hit it too hard, or she'd be in more pain than this. Looking up at the person she bumped into with hooded eyes, she was greeted with a blank gaze and unruly hairstyle that nearly made her thought it was Kuroko for a second.

The male closed the novel he was reading and let the arm fall to his side, unfazed at her pained expression. "Watch where you're going," he said.

Tomoko bowed before voicing out an apology, even though she couldn't help but think half of it was _his_ fault for not paying attention to anything but his book. "But excuse me—" she looked up, wanting to point out his wrong, but she was surprised to see that the male was gone. _What... _Tomoko couldn't believe her eyes; just how did the guy leave without her even noticing?

"...Did I imagine him?" she blinked and touched her forehead. _D-Did I lose too many braincells?!_

"Why are you just standing here?" Hayama's voice brought her back to reality and she turned to the blonde with a confused expression. He grinned and pulled her along, "C'mon, us regulars are going out to eat!"

He lead her out towards the lobby where Mibuchi and Nebuya were waiting. Akashi was up ahead and again reminded Tomoko of what happened earlier.

_"Accompany me to dinner tonight."_

_She looked at him with shock lacing her expression. Did she just hear what she thought she heard? She wouldn't think that much about it if the other Generation of Miracles asked her the same question, but this was Akashi Seijuuro. The last encounter with him was enough to warrant him as someone dangerous, and she'd dare call anyone a liar if they said otherwise. "Why?" _

_"You're the guest of Rakuzan," he said to her with a matter-of-fact smile. Tomoko frowned and raked her brain for a plausible meaning of that, only to grow more confused._

_"Somehow it sounds suspicious coming from you, Akashi-kun."_

_It almost seemed like he wanted to keep her around so it would be easier to maim her._

_"Then think of it as an exchange __for letting you attend our practice today,__" his said just shy of it being threatening, as if he was hinting 'refuse if you dare'._

At the end, she still didn't figure out why the Rakuzan captain asked her, and he had already joined his teammates at practice before she had the chance to answer him. She didn't think his offer was going to extend to the rest of his team though, but she was never gladder to see her childhood friend and the other members present.

"Finally!" Nebuya complained as she and Hayama made their way over. He was patting his growling stomach. "I'm damn near starving!"

Next to him, Mibuchi brought his attention to the girl. "So you're joining us," he said amusingly. "I was wondering why Sei-chan suddenly suggested a team dinner~"

He sounded genuinely surprised, as if it wasn't typical for them to have a simple event like this without her. _Are they not close?_ she thought, feeling sad that such a structured team on the court was so disconnected outside of basketball. Looking at them, she could see clearly that there was a barrier between Akashi and the other three.

"Mayuzumi won't be coming," Akashi said indifferently, although no one in particular cared to ask, and headed out first.

The rest merely shrugged and followed behind while Tomoko pursed her lips. The name was brought up more than once today, but she has yet to meet this 'Mayuzumi' person...

* * *

"Stop hogging all the meat, Nebuya!"

"Hphm?"

"Dammit, you took my rice too?!"

It turns out having dinner with Rakuzan wasn't as awkward as she thought it'd be.

Hayama was sitting next to her and was sharing half of everything from both of their plates (because his kept getting stolen), and it brought back memories of her childhood where they used to do the same whenever they ate together. They ended up going to a _yakiniku_ restaurant upon Nebuya's insistence to eat lots of meat, and said male was currently neck-deep in all the bowls of rice and meat he grilled (and hogged), scarfing away with great appetite. Meanwhile, the ever-poised shooting guard of Rakuzan was conversing with the red headed captain about the team's previous game performances, though he would occasionally slip some displeased remarks towards the burly center for his lack of table manners. Tomoko was wholly surprised at how Akashi seemed completely at ease with the team despite her initial impression that there was a disconnect between them.

_Was I wrong about that after all?_ she wondered.

"Cutie-chan? You're spacing out."

The remark made Tomoko snap out of her thoughts and trail her eyes towards Mibuchi. He had stop talking about basketball some time ago and seemed to be looking at the bandage on her forehead.

"Does it hurt?"

"Ah, it's not that! It doesn't hurt anymore, and I was just thinking about something unrelated," Tomoko waved it off casually. Still, Mibuchi's lips twisted to a fraction of a frown.

"You should be more careful," he said. "What are the guys on Seirin doing, letting their manager get hurt like this?"

"Eye told yuh, yuh shed've ransfurd to Rakushan!" Hayama attempted to say before swallowing a mouthful of rice. He turned to Mibuchi with hopes of relating to him. "We'd take better care of our managers, right Reo-nee?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

Tomoko laughed, amused at the pretty male's quirk of always correcting other people's bad habits. The title 'Reo-nee' was very much a proper nickname for him, and she was glad he was around to make sure Hayama didn't get carried away because her childhood friend was a ball of energy 24/7. It was probably no surprise that out of all of them, then, that Mibuchi seemed to be the closest to the composed red haired captain.

"Reo-san, you're like the mother of Rakuzan," she told him when he gave her a bemused look. She took a quick glance at Akashi, who had been silent during the conversation. "It feels like you and Akashi-kun have to constantly keep watch over the rest."

"Eh, is she saying that we're their kids?" Nebuya responded and slapped Hayama on the back when the shorter boy choked, the action nearly sending Hayama lurching into the table. He disregarded the glare sent his way and laughed. "I'm _for sure _the stronger older brother!"

"That hurt like hell, you brainless muscle bag!"

"Hah, thanks!"

"How interesting," Akashi commented without looking up from his food at first. He could tell she wasn't expecting him to say anything during that exchange from the look of bewilderment on her face, and he couldn't help the amused smirk that rose on his. "You seem to always make up roles for people."

"...Why'd you say that?" she asked curiously as his expression grew.

"This isn't the first time today. I should be flattered you think so highly of Rakuzan."

_S-So he did hear me!_ Tomoko recoiled in embarrassment. She was sure this pleased him because it only made it seem like she was admitting that he was right about being 'absolute'. The other members paused amusingly at the captain's statement about her, though they didn't seem all that surprised.

"Fine... It was my honest observation anyway," she finally shrugged. It's not like she had to deny it; it was just the matter of not wanting to give them a negative ego boost. "I can't deny that you guys are strong, but please don't underestimate your opponents. Even the greatest empires can fall in a night."

It was silent between the four for a few seconds.

"Hime, I don't want you to feel bad because you're from Seirin," Hayama was the first to reply and offered the girl a proud grin. "But Rakuzan is the _best_! I don't see how that saying would apply to us."

"Besides, our opponents lose before we even find the time to underestimate them!" Nebuya agreed wholeheartedly.

"Victory is the very air Rakuzan breathes," Mibuchi simply said.

Tomoko stared at the three, her salmon eyes wide with a look of incredulity. Her words had hardly affected their mindsets; in fact, it only served as a laughingstock to them. The more time she spent with them, the more she realized that she didn't understand them.

She then brought her attention back to Akashi. He was watching her calmly; _knowingly_.

"Do you understand now?" Akashi cocked his brow when his eyes made contact with hers; his expression was cold. "Opposing me is futile. Just because you think of victory differently than others doesn't make it different at all. Victory is _winning; _there is no other way to put it. If you don't succeed, then there is no victory. Wars are not won with friendship."

"Don't give me that crap again!" she countered with a ticked off tone. She had stood up in the heat of the moment. "I don't give up that easily, and neither does Seirin. There's nothing to gain when you only live by that messed up motto. I don't care if you don't believe that you can be beat, because I believe that you _can_, and you _will_."

"Very well," Akashi said calmly as he stood from his seat as well. Something switched within his usual calculating eyes. If it was possible, they became more menacing than ever. When he rounded the table towards her, the air stilled around the whole team. Hayama tried to say something when he sensed the brewing trouble, but he didn't know what he could say at this point. Akashi was absolutely terrifying when he got pissed off.

"A-Akashi, you don't have to take her words to—"

"Silence, Kotarou."

The captain's order rang loudly as he paused behind them. He wasn't looking at them, but even Tomoko couldn't stop the chill that ran through her very bones when she whipped around to face him. Akashi never looked so malicious to her until this very moment and she knew this was the _real_ threat. Had he really been toying with her previously to gage her fear? His gaze bore into hers and she felt an invisible pressure pushing her down.

_I can't move...?_

"I've made it clear that I don't give out second chances, but it seems that I've been far too gracious with you," Akashi's eyes sharpened intensely and Tomoko felt the pounding of her heart leave along with the air in her lungs as she dropped back into her seat involuntarily.

"So long as you're opposing me, _lower your head_."

* * *

_"Well, I'm thinking Sei-chan actually likes a girl who can stand up for herself."_

_-Mibuchi Reo_

* * *

**Review? **

**P.S. I'm thinking of making an AU!Spark omake (in the near future maybe?) and play around with the school festival trope~ would that be something you guys would be interested in? **❤ ** comment o****pinions pls **❤

**P.P.S I LIVE for _Boku_shi and his threats. Sorry Tomoko-chan ;_;**


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